BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday alleged that India does not want to see democracy in its neighbouring countries due to its hegemonic attitude. "India is a democratic country, but it does not want Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka to be governed by the will of their people. Why should they follow Delhi's words?" he said while inaugurating the three BNP associate bodies' march towards Agartala from Nayapaltan. He said the people of Bangladesh liberated the country from Pakistan by sacrificing blood, not to surrender to Delhi. BNP’s associate bodies start long march towards Agartala The BNP leader said if India demanded Chattogram as their part, then Bangladesh would demand Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha as its part. "We won't chew amla if they (India) come to occupy Chattogram." Rizvi alleged that India supported the 'bloodthirsty Lady Pharaoh, Sheikh Hasina,' over the last 16 years. He said the Indian ruling party has been criticised by democratic countries all over the world due to its communal attitude. BNP accuses India of 'direct aggression' in supporting Hasina The Indian ruling party has not understood the spirit, self-strength, and bravery of the people of Bangladesh. Later, the BNP associate bodies – Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal – started their planned long march by travelling in several hundred cars, microbuses, and motorcycles towards Agartala from Dhaka at 9 am to protest against Indian aggression. Rizvi pledges to honour victims of July-August Uprising The programme is also meant to protest against the attack on the Bangladesh mission in Agartala, the desecration of the country's national flag, and the spread of false information and terrorism against Bangladesh by India. Several thousand leaders and activists from the three organisations formally began the long march with a huge motorcade from the party's Nayapaltan central office. BNP begins protest march towards Indian High Commission Before launching the long march, top leaders from the three organisations delivered brief speeches, condemning Indian politicians and media for their hegemonic attitude and attempting to disrupt religious harmony in Bangladesh through false and misleading campaigns. The leaders said they will end their peaceful long march along the Akhaura Indian border.

BNP’s Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi criticised the Indian media's stance on Bangladesh's internal issues, alleging that India is 'tainted with the blood of Muslims, Christians, and people of other religions'. He made the remark while addressing an event ‘Be great after buying local products’ at Bhuban Mohan Park in Rajshahi on Tuesday. Rizvi said the communal harmony in Bangladesh would not be destroyed by the continued propaganda of the Indian media regarding Bangladesh. “If India demands Chattogram, we will also demand Bangla, Bihar and Udisha of Nawabi regime. People of the country wont’ tolerate dominance of India. Sheikh Hasina was favourite to India for dominance,” The BNP leader said. Read: Rizvi accuses India of misleading world about Bangladesh Regarding the limitation on the issuance of Indian visas, he said that Indian businesspeople are facing losses due to the decision, as Kolkata’s New Market and hospitals are now visibly vacant for lack of Bangladeshi customers and patients. Rizvi claimed that Indian patients would visit Bangladesh if the local healthcare system is established on a strong foundation. Urging India to show due respect to Bangladesh, he said the people of the country are united in the question of freedom and sovereignty. Read more: Rizvi accuses India of using communalism to assert dominance He said Bangladesh is not entirely dependent on India for all things. Earlier Bangladesh used to export onions but Sheikh Hasina started importing in 2023 to make India happy. An Indian shawl was burnt to encourage boycotting their product at the event. Besides, local products were sold at lower prices there.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday alleged that what the Indian ruling party is currently doing to send Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh is nothing but direct aggression. “You (Indian govt) do not like the people of Bangladesh. You do not respect the sovereignty and independence of Bangladesh,” he said in a brief speech before launching a protest march towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka from Nayapaltan. Rizvi said Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh and took refuge in India in the face of a strong mass uprising. “What the ruling party of India is doing to bring Sheikh Hasina back is nothing but direct aggression in the language of political science,” he said. Rizvi equivocally said the 180 million people of Bangladesh are prepared to resist Delhi’s hegemony. "We know how to use sophisticated equipment to safeguard our country in every domain, from air to sea to land. We have capable members in our smart military.” He said Sheikh Hasina had been in power illegally for 15 years with India's backing and by dismantling Bangladesh's electoral system and depriving the people of their voting rights.Rizvi questioned how, if India is a secular and democratic country, it could support a despotic ruler like Hasina, who he claimed has enslaved the people of Bangladesh for the past 15 years. He said India is upset as no country in the subcontinent, including Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, currently stands with them. “No one can be their friend because, despite their talks of secularism, their hearts are filled with nothing but hardline Hindutva.” The BNP leader alleged that Indian politicians and media, from Delhi to Kolkata, have been attempting to mislead the world by fabricating false narratives of minority oppression. “India’s attempts to spread such propaganda against Bangladesh would achieve nothing. They have no political agenda except to foster communal hatred and incite division.” Read: BNP begins protest march towards Indian High Commission “They (Indian ruling party) have an attitude of hatred. They don't like the people of Bangladesh, and they are fundamentally anti-Bangladesh,” Rizvi said. He also said Bangladeshi lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was hacked to death by ISKCON members in Chattogram as a direct result of India’s propaganda about minority repression. The BNP leader criticised Indian politicians and media for failing to condemn the killing of a Muslim lawyer. He said three BNP associate bodies had organised a road march towards the Indian High Commission to peacefully protest the unjust and prejudicial propaganda being spread against Bangladesh and its people. “This protest by the three organisations will be disciplined and peaceful, despite the neighbouring country’s attempts at sabotage at every turn. Their audacity has reached such a level that they now claim Chattogram as part of India… If they can make such a demand, then we too will raise our demand for the return of Siraj-Ud-Daulah’s Bengal, Bihar and Orissa,” the BNP leader said. Rizvi also said India will not be able to undermine the sense of harmony and brotherhood among the people of all religious communities in Bangladesh by falsely stigmatizing the nation. The BNP top leaders also delivered brief speeches, condemning the Indian ruling party and media for attempting to disrupt religious harmony in Bangladesh through false and misleading campaignsLater, three associate bodies of the BNP—Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal—began their road march towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka around 11:30am to protest the attack on the Bangladesh mission in Agartala and the desecration of the country's national flag. The programme was also intended to register protests against what the party describes as an Indian plot to incite communal riots in Bangladesh. When the march reached Rampura Bridge in the capital from Nayapaltan around 12:35 pm, a large number of police blocked the way with barricades and urged the leaders of the three organisations to cooperate with them for the sake of maintaining law and order. Later, a six-member delegation from the three associate bodies of the BNP submitted a memorandum to the Indian High Commission registering their protests against the recent anti-Bangladesh incidents in the neighbouring country. Read more: India making enemies of 19 crore Bangladeshis for friendship with AL: BNP's Hafiz  

BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday accused India of trying to mislead the world by spreading lies about Bangladesh in its attempt to support the ousted Awami League government. "Politicians, policymakers and many media figures in neighbouring countries—particularly those who compromise their integrity—are crying over the escape of the despotic ruler (Sheikh Hasina)," he said while speaking to reporters at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute Hospital. "They’re trying to confuse the world by fabricating falsehoods, such as claims that Hindu homes are being torched and Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh. But, in this age of technology, their efforts are failing," Rizvi added. Announce election roadmap: Dr Mosharraf to govt As part of the initiative by "Amra BNP Poribar", Rizvi visited patients at the hospital who had sustained injuries during the student-led mass movement. He said the false propaganda being spread by India gives an impression that violent murderers and bloodthirsty people dominate the neighbouring country. The BNP leader also alleged that India has been shedding "crocodile tears" for Sheikh Hasina since it used her to protect its own interests. Rizvi said the interim government has arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das, who had previously been expelled from ISKCON, for his misdeeds. "It appears that there has been an outcry for him from Delhi to the very farthest corners of India. This situation can’t continue." Rizvi accuses India of using communalism to assert dominance Stating that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign state earned at the cost of immense blood, he said that no one has the power to make the country bow down. "This Bangladesh cannot be subjugated through veiled threats or intimidation.” He strongly condemned the disrespect of Bangladesh's national flag in India, as well as the recent attack on the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala. “They (Indians) have gone so far that they have torn down the flag of our independent beloved motherland. As per Vienna Convention, they have committed a terrible and serious international crime by raising their hands on our diplomatic officials,” the BNP leader said. He also criticised India for failing to acknowledge the cruelty and violence that Sheikh Hasina has inflicted on the citizens of her own country. BNP submits recommendations to Police Reform Commission “The scene I witnessed in the burn unit is beyond words. I visited various hospitals, I have seen much, but nothing compares to the sheer brutality I observed today (Saturday). It was so heart-breaking that tears filled my eyes. It felt as if I were watching a scene from a horror film. Who will take responsibility for this? How will these people survive?” Rizvi said. He said autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina, created such an atrocious situation before fleeing the country. “Those responsible for this carnage—from the ministers to all others involved in killing our people, crippling our brothers, and committing these heinous crimes—must be brought to justice in the International Crimes Tribunal.”

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday accused India of using communalism as a pretext to establish dominance in the subcontinent by provoking hardline Hindu groups.“You divided India by using communalism as a pretext, and now you are also destroying the democratic traditions India has maintained since its independence,” he said while addressing an event in the capital's Gulshan area, which called for a boycott of Indian products. BNP's Rizvi calls for Indian product boycott“By using communalism as a pretext, you are trying to establish dominance in the subcontinent by inciting radical Hindus,” the BNP leader added.He observed that Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Pakistan are no longer aligned with India due to its hateful and malicious approach. “Bangladesh is also not with you. This is solely because of your arrogance and the exploitative attitude you continue to demonstrate,” Rizvi said.He said Bangladesh is a self-sufficient nation, which achieved its independence through the sacrifice of three million lives and the loss of dignity of 200,000 women. Rizvi slams Mamata for ‘harbouring Hindu nationalist ideology’“Can you suppress this country of 18-19 crore people by simply frowning your eyes and frightening us with false propaganda? What has happened to you that you have suddenly started desperately spreading propaganda against Bangladesh?” the BNP leader asked.Before August 5, he said, a despised government under Sheikh Hasina was in power in Bangladesh, one that did not hesitate to kill children in the country to cling to power.“They did not hesitate to make their own people, who love democracy, disappear forever. They used to kill people along the rivers and canals through crossfire. Why was that Hasina government so dear to you? Because, with your provocation, Sheikh Hasina did whatever she wanted in this country,” Rizvi added.He mentioned that India may think the people of Bangladesh would face great problems if it stopped exporting onions, garlic, ginger, and soybean oil.“Don’t forget, the people of Bangladesh are hardworking and they know how to produce onions, garlic, and ginger themselves. You think you are the only country in the world. Are there no other countries from which we can import onions, garlic, and oil?” Rizvi said.He also reminded India that the people of Bangladesh had built cattle and goat farms in every village and slaughtered 1.20 crore cattle in a single Eid, following India’s cessation of cattle exports for five to six years.The BNP leader said that shopkeepers at Kolkata’s New Market and other areas, along with hospitals there, are facing difficulties as India has stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshis.“You have stopped issuing visas, thinking that the people of Bangladesh would become restless. The people of Bangladesh are happy. If necessary, they will go to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, or any other country. People do not want to go to a country like India, which harbours a hatred towards us,” he said.The BNP leader also criticised Indian Republic Bangla TV for claiming that Chattogram was part of India, warning that Bangladesh would also claim ownership of areas such as Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, once ruled by Muslim Nawabs.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday urged the interim government to seek assistance from the UN peacekeeping force to ensure the security for the staff of Bangladesh's diplomatic missions in India as they failed to provide security for them. “The officials and employees of the Bangladesh missions are suffering from a sense of insecurity. In this situation, the Bangladesh government should seek assistance from the UN peacekeeping force and take measures for the security of our people there," he said. He made the call at a press conference in the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, while talking about the recent attack on Bangladesh Assistant High Commission at Agartala, India. India really wants stable, constructive relationship with Bangladesh: Verma Rizvi said being instigated by the BJP government, the extremist terrorists carried out the brutal attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Kunjaban, Agartala amid the silent presence of the members of the law enforcement agencies. They tore down the national flag, set it on fire, vandalised the flagpole and damaged the property inside the assistant high commission, he said. "This unprecedented attack on the diplomatic mission in Agartala is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961,” said the BNP leader. Though the Indian government staged the drama to express regret for the attack, the instances of aggressive interference India did in Bangladesh's internal affairs in the past created further resentment (in Bangladesh), he added. “We would like to tell the extremist Hindus of India, your friendship is with Sheikh Hasina. The open hostility you have shown against the people of Bangladesh to protect that friendship is not a good neighbourly behavior,” he added. Rizvi said their (Indians’) friend Hasina got shelter there in India after killing thousands of people (in Bangladesh). “Be satisfied with her (giving her shelter). Remember, Bangladesh became independent at the cost of millions of lives, not to be a slave to Delhi. The slave who wanted to be a servant is now on your feet,” he said. The BNP leader claimed that the Indian BJP government and extremists have gone madder than Hasina after she lost power and was ousted. They are desperately spreading propaganda, he alleged.   Rizvi-Mamata About West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s call for sending the troopers of the UN peacekeeping forces to Bangladesh, Rizvi said Bangladeshi missions in India are now unprotected and a video went viral where a member of Bangladeshi mission was being beaten brutally. "Even then, Mamata Banerjee will say so. Bangladesh doesn't need peacekeeping forces, rather India does,'" he said, adding that it is also necessary to send UN peacekeeping forces to Kashmir, Assam and Manipur in India. Pointing at Mamata, the BNP senior joint secretary general said, "First, take care of your own country. Deploy peacekeeping forces in your country, India, which is necessary in Kashmir, Assam and Manipur." Attack on Bangladesh Mission: India arrests 7, suspends 3 cops Rizvi also called on international human rights organisations to investigate the allegations of atrocities against minorities in various states of India.   Making Bangladesh Unstable Rizvi said countless atrocities against minority communities are happening all the time in India, but the country has no regret or remorse about the incidents. As part of a master plan, India is expressing unnecessary concern and anger over the situation in Bangladesh, he added. "To destabilise Bangladesh is a part of India's master plan so that Bangladesh can’t function properly... This is their international master plan and the people of Bangladesh think that an outside country is involved in this (in destabilising Bangladesh)," he said. Noting that India's role is double standard, he said the minorities including Muslims, Christians, lower castes Dalit Hindus and Sikhs have no security in their own country. BGB tightens vigil along border to avoid unwanted situation Rizvi asked all communities of the country --Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian– to inform the government if anyone feels a sense of insecurity. “The government will take appropriate measures. But there is no point in attracting the attention of India. Stay loyal to your homeland,” he hoped.   Indian Media’s Chorus The BNP leader said the Indian media are continuously singing choruses and spreading propaganda against Bangladesh. “They are slandering the supreme sacrifices and contributions of the student masses in this country's democratic movement,” he said. BNP leaders Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Tahmina Rushdir Luna, Abdus Salam Azad and Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, among others, were present at the press conference. Later, thousands of BNP leaders and activists brought a procession led by Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in front of the BNP’s central office protesting the attack on the Bangladesh mission in India.  

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday said it is not correct that their party is a barrier to banning the Awami League. “Some in the interim government are propagating through their remarks and statements that BNP is an obstacle to banning the Awami League, which is not correct,” he told a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. The BNP leader said that the government holds the sole authority to decide whether to ban the Awami League or not.  "It is regrettable to blame BNP for this," Rizvi bemoaned. BNP welcomes Tarique’s acquittal He mentioned that their party had also protested when the Awami League government banned Jamaat. “We hope that the interim government, including the chief advisor and other advisers, will refrain from making statements that weaken the democratic forces or create divisions in our unity,” Rizvi said. He said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has already urged the interim government to take urgent steps to ensure the political and economic empowerment of the people. BNP urges Chief Adviser to foster national unity to resolve issues “Earn the trust of the people. Stay in their trust. The national unity against autocracy has been forged through the blood of several thousands of students,” the BNP leader said. He said the government must show prudence so that its action or word does cause a rift in the unity of the students and the people.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday expressed satisfaction, saying that justice has been served as the High Court acquitted Tarique Rahman and other convicted people in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack. "Justice has been served," he said during a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office. Rizvi said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and other party leaders accused in the two cases had been deprived of justice under the Awami League government. Plot afoot to brand Bangladesh as communal, stay alert: Fakhrul Rizvi said that when retired police officer Abdul Kahar Akhand was reappointed and made the investigation officer (IO) of the cases during the Awami League rule, it became clear to them that the government had malicious intentions. The BNP leader also alleged that the Awami League government had used state power to forcibly convict Tarique Rahman and other BNP leaders in the cases. “We have got the proper judgement from the apex court. Some of the justice for which we have been engaged in a long political struggle has been reflected in the verdict,” he said. Earlier in the day, the High Court (HC) had overturned the verdict of a lower court in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack, acquitting all convicts, including BNP's Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman and former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar. Rizvi expects free, fair elections under new EC An HC bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the judgement on Sunday. The court also declared the charge sheet in the case illegal. The grenade attack, a shocking incident, occurred on Dhaka's Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday alleged that 'fascist' Sheikh Hasina fled the country after ruining the nation's future. "Sheikh Hasina's government spared no one—children, teenagers, or young people—just to cling to power. In the end, she fled, having destroyed the country's future," he said. The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Mohakhali residence of Golam Nafiz, a student who was killed during the student-led mass uprising in July-August. On behalf of "Amra BNP Poribar," Rizvi met the family members of the martyred student Nafiz and conveyed his party’s sympathy to them. He also provided financial assistance to the grieving family on behalf of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Gayeshwar calls for restoration of voting rights, demands immediate elections Rizvi said the Awami League has always sought to deceive the people and establish a one-family rule in the country. "Nafiz sacrificed his life fighting against unjust tyranny, granting the nation freedom and fresh hope," he said. The BNP leader said their party, together with the people of the country, will build a democratic Bangladesh by securing all the justified rights and freedoms of the people. "The dreams of Nafiz, (Mir Mahfuzur Rahman) Mugdho, and Abu Sayed will be materealised. Their sacrifices will not go in vain," Rizvi said. He assured that their party, led by Tarique Rahman, will always stand by the families of those who gave their lives during the student-led mass uprising. Nafiz's mother expressed her grief, stating that her son was denied medical treatment by law enforcers and Awami League cadres after he was shot. She called upon the government to ensure exemplary punishment for her son's killers. Besides, she demanded that the government designate Nafiz Square as the site where her son was killed.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said the people of the country are looking at the interim government with a suspicion due to its delay in announcing a specific timeframe of the national election. Speaking at a programme in the capital’s Demra area, he urged the government to rein in the rising prices of daily essentials by taking action against the Awami business syndicate that controls the market. “I would like to tell Dr Muhammad Yunus that you should carry out the reforms. But why do you hesitate so much to declare the election date? Democracy means that no matter what happens, you must clearly inform people as they have doubts about these matters,” Rizvi said. He said the government has formed various commissions for state reforms, but it did not specify the deadline for submitting reports or how many days it will take to hold a free and fair election. The BNP leader said people have been waiting for a credible election for 15 years to choose their representatives and parties to form the government. “Having clarity and a roadmap are two essential conditions of democracy. You are hesitating regarding the timeframe, and people are viewing this with some suspicion.” Rizvi accuses govt of 'hide and seek' over arrest of Hasina's ministers ‘Amra BNP Paribar’ arranged the programme at Demar’s Konapara to express sympathy to the family members of seven people who were killed by police firing during the recent student-led mass movement. Rizvi said Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus is a revered person who has brought international honour for Bangladesh. “But he must first consider what can ease public life and where people find comfort. To ensure that low-income people can eat properly, you must prioritise market control.” “You (govt) have reduced tariffs on many items, but there has been no effect in the market. The prices of sugar, rice, edible oil and onions have not declined due to the market syndicate. Arrest these Awami syndicate members and bring them under the law to control the market,” he said. Otherwise, the BNP leader said, it would be a betrayal of the spirit of democracy, the spirit of the movement, and the blood of those who sacrificed their lives. He noted that Sheikh Hasina had used every possible method to secure her power but had failed in the face of a student-led mass movement. “She had not brought real criminals to justice; instead, she imprisoned those who opposed her. When this failed to prolong her power, she resorted to killings, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions, which were particularly evident in July and August,” Rizvi observed.