BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday said the recent incidents of mob violence and attacks on different institutions are putting the restoration of democracy at risk.
“Attacks are launched one after another across the country over various issues. If this continues, democracy will never become strong,” he said.
The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking to reporters after paying tributes at the grave of late President Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, along the members of newly announced central committee of Jatiyatabadi Muktijuddher Projonmo.
Rizvi said people have been deprived of their voting rights for the last 17 years. “People are eager to vote, but a group is trying to destroy this opportunity in a planned way. We call upon everyone not to allow such evil efforts.”
Criticising former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said the Awami League government wasted public money by purchasing electricity from abroad under an unequal agreement.
The BNP leader also alleged that the Awami League regime created opportunities for looting public funds and siphoned off huge amounts of money abroad.
Praising engineer Ishraque Hossain, convener of the newly formed committee, Rizvi said the young BNP leader and son of former undivided Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka set an example in the movement against fascism.
He expressed hope that the Muktijuddher Projonmo, led by Ishraque, would play a key role in protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Speaking on the occasion, Ishraque said the nation has never seen such open attempts to undermine the Liberation War as it is witnessing now in the country’s 54-year history. “False and misleading information is being used to create confusion about the 1971 Liberation War by a party that tries to hide its role in 1971. This is shameful.”
He said the forces that supported the mass uprising were expected to remain united for the restoration of democracy and people’s voting rights. “But we must ask whether we are truly united. Because of this disunity, a patriot like Sharif Osman Hadi was killed, and the criminals managed to escape.”