“Amit Shah has made disgusting remarks accusing BNP of oppressing minorities in Bangladesh. He also said the persecution of minorities increased greatly during BNP’s period. Amit Shah’s remarks are devoid of truth,” said BNP senior secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said. “We turn down with hatred Amit Shah’s irresponsible comments. We strongly condemn it, and call upon him to withdraw his baseless allegation.”

While speaking in Lok Sabha on the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Monday, Shah criticised the BNP government and listed a number of instances of gang-rape of Hindu women and attacks on Hindu houses and temples in October, 2001.

Rizvi said the interests of minorities were protected here during BNP’s government while the minorities were more or less tortured during the Awami League government.

“BNP believes in communal harmony and rights of all citizens to independently follow their respective religions. We also don’t believe in minority-majority concept based on religion,” he observed.

About filing of a case against 12 people, including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, by Jananetri Parishad president AB Siddique, Rizvi said the case was filed on ‘false and fabricated’ charges at the behest of the government.

He strongly protested and condemned the filing of the case against the BNP leaders, and demanded immediate withdrawal of it.

The BNP leader said AB Siddique is a perverted person who used to file cases one after another against BNP leaders on fabricated and bizarre charges as per the directives of the government only to harass them.