United News of Bangladesh

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday alleged that there was a sinister attempt to tarnish their party’s image by falsely blaming it for the rape of a Hindu woman though she was raped by an Awami League leader in Muradnagar, Cumilla. “For 15 years, the Awami League carried out a smear campaign against the Zia family, and now they are secretly spending money to continue that propaganda in order to tarnish BNP’s image. A clear example of this is the recent incident in Muradnagar,” he said. Speaking at a press briefing at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Rizvi said an Awami League leader committed a heinous act at a Hindu house in Muradnagar. “It’s so disgraceful that I feel ashamed of even uttering it. Yet they tried to shift the blame onto us. Similar incidents are being orchestrated in other places as well,” he said. Though Sheikh Hasina fled the country, the BNP leader said, her accomplices still remain in the administration, across various sectors and at the grassroots level throughout the country. “The associates of Awami League are still present in various places, including in the administration, and they have huge amounts of money at their disposal. They are using this money to continue their efforts to smear political parties that support democracy and the current government. I believe the incident in Muradnagar of Cumilla is a reflection of such evil efforts,” he observed. BNP leader Salahuddin suspects plot behind PR and local election push Rizvi also said the deposed Awami League and its associates are trying in various ways to destabilise Bangladesh. “The incidents of push-in through the borders are part of their scheme. They do not want the people of Bangladesh, democratic political parties, or the government to remain in a stable condition.” He said the Awami League and its associates have built a network, and it is the government’s responsibility to dismantle it. Rizvi said BNP and other democratic political parties have long been demanding the arrest and prosecution of Awami League's accomplices who are still lurking in the administration and other places. “But due to the slow pace and inaction, they are now getting involved in such a heinous crime (rape) — and even daring to shift the blame onto others,” he said. The BNP leader demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in the Muradnagar incident, so that people can see the government is acting properly and fulfilling its duty. Earlier on Friday, a case was filed with Muradnagar Police Station as a man raped a Hindu woman at knifepoint in Ramchandrapur Panchkitta village in the upazila, where she had gone to visit her father’s house about two weeks ago. The main accused, Fazor Ali, 36, and four others were arrested in connection with the rape case.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said their party expects an announcement of a specific timeframe for the national election following a meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMN Nasir Uddin. “We believe that the expectations and aspirations of people will be reflected in setting the election date and the announcement of the election schedule,” Rizvi said. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after visiting the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre, the venue for BNP’s inaugural programme of a 36-day series of events to mark the first anniversary of the July-August mass uprising, scheduled to begin on July 1. When asked by a journalist whether BNP expects a specific election date to be announced after the meeting between the Chief Adviser and the CEC, Rizvi replied, “We certainly hope so.” Earlier on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMN Nasir Uddin had a courtesy meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna. Rizvi said people’s hopes and expectations about the timing of the next election have been widely discussed across various platforms. He said the country’s people and political parties have confidence that Prof Yunus and the interim government will work for the welfare of people and in the interest of democracy. Rizvi slams ‘vested quarters’ for misusing BNP’s name to create chaos in govt offices The BNP leader said they also believe that the Chief Adviser will make arrangements to hold a free and fair election within the stipulated time so that people can elect their representatives who will be accountable to them. Rizvi voiced concerns that the nation is facing economic and social crises, with various forms of mob culture emerging. “We have to free the entire nation from it. We need to ensure such democracy in the coming days where public representatives are accountable to the people at every step. We need to create a situation where no one can become a godfather by becoming an MP, like during Sheikh Hasina's tenure,” he said. The BNP leader said the interim government should give more focus to the economy as growth is declining. “Last year, our economic growth was 4.2%; this time it has come down to 3.9%. If the economic situation continues to deteriorate like this, if there is no investment, then it will be very sad. We hope that the interim government will look into the economic issues,” he said. As long as the interim government is in power, Rizvi said, they will have to work to ensure the overall welfare of the people and a better life for them. “The (government) will have to hold the election after the necessary reforms, and it must be held within a logical time,” he added.