BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday alleged that there is a blueprint to establish the forces of those who ‘sell independence’ and the anti-liberation elements everywhere. Speaking at a rally to raise mass awareness about dengue, he also said the interim government must act in a stronger way to address public issues and counter various schemes by the cohorts of the ousted fascist regime of the Awami League. “You (govt) must oversee who is being appointed to the administration. Consider who your friends are. If you place in key positions those who have served Sheikh Hasina for the past 15 years, they will not work in your favor; instead, they may engage in subversive acts,” the BNP leader warned. AL has no rights to do politics; it should be banned: Oli Ahmad He alleged that the associates of autocrats have been appointed to the health and other ministries. “We are witnessing what seems to be a blueprint to establish two forces—those who sell independence and anti-liberation elements—everywhere from the home ministry to the education ministry." The BNP leader said the government is failing to perform its responsibilities properly due to this blueprint. “The prices of essential items, including potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, chicken, spices and edible oil, are on the rise. If you had made timely market interventions, prices would not have soared like this.” He said a syndicate is extorting Tk 50 crore every night at the Karwanbazar kitchen market, driving up the prices of all vegetables and essential items. “What is your police administration doing to address this extortion? Various syndicates are active in every market, not just in Karwanbazar.” Tarique calls for urgent measures to tackle soaring prices of essentials The BNP leader expressed frustration that the interim government is taking much time to eliminate market and business syndicates. “People are now saying that prices of goods increased during Sheikh Hasina's time and continue to rise. What is the difference? This is not supposed to happen.” The Dhaka South City unit of BNP organised the programme near Jurain Railgate in the capital to raise awareness about dengue. Rizvi and other leaders also distributed leaflets in the area. Rizvi said while a ‘serious disease’—Sheikh Hasina—has fled the country, dengue has emerged in Bangladesh, claiming many lives. He said low-lying areas like Jurain have historically faced severe waterlogging, but the previous government was oblivious to this issue. “Sheikh Hasina's intention was not public service as her intention was to loot public money and siphon off it abroad,” the BNP leader said. He alleged that Hasina’s relatives, ruling party leaders and their associates, along with business syndicates like S Alam and Summit Group, plundered vast sums of public money under the guise of development activities and siphoned it off abroad. BNP for bringing back Hasina to face trial Rizvi questioned how Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, leads a lavish life and resides in an expansive house in the USA despite having no visible job or business. “The truth is coming to light. However, people could not raise questions during the rule of the fascist regime; those who tried ended up in jail.” He said the International Crimes Tribunal is working to bring Hasina back, as it has already issued a warrant for her arrest. “The tribunal will take action against her.”

Expressing serious concern over the loss of more than 200 lives to dengue, the BNP urged the government on Monday to take urgent measures to contain the outbreak of this Aedes mosquito-borne disease and protect people’s lives. Speaking at a press briefing at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office, party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi warned that public disappointment could escalate and confidence in the government may diminish if it fails to effectively address the worsening dengue situation. “The advisers are discussing various measures to prevent dengue. But there are no visible efforts in place to protect lives from this disease, which is truly unfortunate,” he said. According to official statistics, the BNP leader stated that more than 200 people have already lost their lives to dengue, which is deeply disappointing. “We strongly urge the government to take immediate steps to contain the dengue prevalence and save people’s lives.” . BNP slams govt for failure to arrest AL cadres involved in student shootings Rizvi stated that the government needs to intensify efforts to eliminate mosquitoes, target dengue hotspots, and eradicate the larvae of Aedes mosquitoes. He also said the government needs to increase the availability of essential medicines and the number of hospital beds, especially in Dhaka’s hospitals, to prevent the loss of lives. The BNP leader said that the interim government should have taken proactive measures in advance to check dengue. He said dengue, a tropical disease, is preventable and it tends to outbreak during the rainy season. “So, the government should have implemented necessary preventive measures earlier to save lives. This is not the government of Sheikh Hasina. It’s a government supported by the people.” Rizvi emphasised that dengue could continue to spread until November, urging the government to prioritise this issue and take every possible step to halt the outbreak of the deadly disease. He said the BNP has undertaken coordinated efforts to raise awareness among the public as part of a strategy to address the dengue situation, following a directive from party Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. The BNP leader said their party leaders and workers will continue their efforts to save lives as long as dengue cases persist. He mentioned that they have established a hotline and a website to facilitate communication between those in need of blood and those willing to donate. 'As a political party, we are striving to support the people, but the government must implement effective measures at the macro level.”