Ruhul Kabir Rizvi
Covid restrictions maybe to stop BNP rallies: Rizvi
BNP on Tuesday aired a doubt whether the government imposed fresh restrictions, including on public gatherings, to stop the party’s rallies and meetings.
"People are questioning whether the restrictions have been imposed only to prevent BNP’s rallies. Because people have awakened against the government,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said the government has become sacred as people have started joining their party’s rallies breaking section 144.
"We would like to clearly say the fall of the current regime can’t be resisted, no matter how many conspiracies are hatched. People can no longer be suppressed by resorting to conspiracies with cases, conviction and restrictions,” Rizvi warned.
Read: 300 injured in ‘police attack’ on BNP’s Habiganj rally: Rizvi
Amid the spike in Covid cases due to the transmission of the Omicron variant, the government on Monday imposed various restrictions, including public gatherings, social programmes, political and religious events. The restrictions will be effective on January 13.
Programmes to continue
Replying to a question, Rizvi said their party’s planned rallies in the second phase will continue amid the government’s restrictions.
"The programme that we’ve already announced will continue. Our party still didn’t change its decision in this regard,” he added.
On January 5, the party announced to hold rallies in its 40 more organisational districts from January 8 in the second phase to force the government to allow its chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced medical treatment.
As per the schedule, the party was supposed to hold rallies in six days--January 8, 12, 15, 17, 22 and 24-- to mount pressure on the government to allow Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment.
The party formally inaugurated the second-phase programmes through a rally in Brahmanbaria on January 8.
Read:Don’t leave streets until govt ousted: Rizvi to BNP followers
In the first phase, the party held rallies in 32 districts from December 22 to 30 to press for the same demand.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital for various health complications since November 13.
Her medical board members said Khaleda immediately needs to go abroad for better treatment as she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
DSA being used against opposition, dissidents: BNP
BNP on Sunday alleged that the Digital Security Act (DSA) is being used against opposition leaders and activists and dissidents as a tool of repression.
"The Digital Security Act is a repressive law. If anyone belonging to opposition or any dissenter files a case under the act in the morning, it will be dismissed by the court in the afternoon,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Read: Dialogue's focus on election 'manipulation', alleges BNP
Speaking at a doa-mahfil-cum discussion meeting, he also said when any Awami League leader files a case against a BNP leader under the DSA, the legal process continues smoothly from the very beginning. “That BNP leader will be arrested by police and sent to jail by the court.”
Rizvi also said if the BNP leaders are sent to jail under the DSA case they will be granted bail after a long time. “This is how the Digital Security Act has been applied in the country.”
Jatiyatabadi Online Activists arranged the programme on the ground floor of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of their late colleagues, including MM Obaidur Rahman, Kamarul Hasan Shaheen, Tanima Soma and Shant Islam.
Describing the current situation in the country as "terribly suffocating", Rizvi said, "We live in a society where there is no freedom of speech. We have to always carefully look left and right all the time to see whether anyone is following us.”
BNP’s nationwide human chains Wednesday
BNP has decided to mark the eighth anniversary of the 10th parliament election day -- January 5, 2014 -- by forming human chains across the country, including in the capital, on Wednesday to register the party’s protest against the ‘unilateral’ election.
Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press conference at its Nayapaltan central office on Tuesday.
"January 5 is a dark day in the history of Bangladesh's elections. Eight years ago, on this day in 2014, a unilateral, controversial, fraudulent, ridiculous and farcical election was held across the country without voters and opposition candidates. Awami League has humiliated itself all over the world by holding this much-talked-about election,” he said.
Read: Govt filing fictitious cases again, alleges BNP
The BNP leader said they will observe January 5 as a ‘democracy killing day’ by staging human chain programmes in all metropolitan cities and district towns.
In Dhaka, he said, BNP leaders and activists will form a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 10:30am.
Most registered political parties, including BNP, boycotted the 10th parliamentary election as it was held under a partisan government, annulling the caretaker government system following a court order.
However, Awami League and its political allies joined the election in which 153 MPs out of 300 seats got elected uncontested.
Referring to the 2014 elections, Rizvi said, Awami League broke its own stigmatised record in the March 7, 1973, national election through the January-5 one. "Polling stations across the country were completely empty in the January-5 election. “The world community has seen four-legged animals roaming in the voting centres instead of voters.”
He said Awami League has also snatched people’s voting rights the night before the 11th parliamentary-election day on December 30, 2018. “The Election Commission and law enforcement agencies have kept this government in power by stuffing ballots the night before the voting day.”
Read: 2022 to be a good year for democracy, hopes BNP
The BNP leader alleged that democracy is now in exile while freedom of speech and press freedom has been snatched by the government.
He said one person’s rule has been established in the country by ‘destroying’ the rule of law and judiciary.
Criticising the government for what he said were its efforts to obstruct BNP’s rallies at different parts of the country by imposing restrictions, Rizvi said people have started taking to the streets breaking section 144. “Wherever BNP is holding rallies, people are joining there creating a mass wave. People are waking up against misrule.”
Arrest warrant issued against BNP leader Rizvi, 7 others
A Dhaka court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and seven others in a case filed under the Special Powers Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Session Court judge KM Imrul Kayes issued the warrant taking the charge sheet against 33 BNP leaders into cognizance.
The court set February 22 for submitting the report of action on the arrest warrant.
In January, 2015, police filed the case with Badda police station for which the court was supposed to hear the charges today.
None of the eight BNP leaders were present at the hearing.
Govt can permit Khaleda to go abroad if it wants: BNP
BNP on Wednesday said the government has the authority to allow critically ill Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment anytime.
“The government can permit such a critically sick leader like Begum Khaleda Zia (to go abroad) anytime. We still call upon the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a doa mahfil, he also turned down Law Minister Anisul Huq’s remark that the BNP chief has to go back to jail for making a fresh application to go abroad.
“Is there any such provision in any law (that she needs to return to jail for a fresh application)? You’re lying and repeating the same thing,” Rizvi said pointing at the Law Minister.
Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) arranged the programme on the ground floor of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office seeking divine blessings for the speedy recovery of Khaleda.
On Tuesday, Anisul Huq told parliament that the government will consider the BNP chairperson’s appeal to go abroad for medical treatment if she forwards a fresh petition after returning to jail.
Rizvi said current prime minister and then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina and then Awami League general secretary Abul Jalil went abroad for treatment during the rule of Fakhruddin-Moyeenuddin after the 1/11political changeover.
He said another politician ASM Abur Rob also went abroad from jail for treatment. “There’re many such examples.”
The BNP leader described the law minister as a cruel man, and said he played many things against Khaleda ‘using’ the court to appease Sheikh Hasina.
“No one in the world has done such bad things as the law minister. The prime minister and the law minister take pleasure seeing the suffering of the BNP chairperson. This is why he wants to make Sheikh Hasina happy by giving references of all kinds of inhuman laws against the BNP leaders.”
He warned that people will give a befitting reply by taking to the streets if the government does not shun its ‘inhuman and cruel’ attitude against Khaleda.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, was readmitted to Evercare Hospital on November 13, six days after she had returned home from the hospital.
On behalf of the family, Khaleda's younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application to the Home Ministry on November 11 urging the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment.
Don’t leave streets until govt ousted: Rizvi to BNP followers
BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday asked their party leaders and activists to make streets their permanent addresses until the current government is ousted.
"The streets will have to be our addresses, or else we won’t be able to survive. Sheikh Hasina is moving forward with a horrific blueprint. We’ve to make the streets our permanent houses and addresses to foil the blueprint,” he said.
Speaking at a human-chain programme, the BNP leader also urged the party leaders and followers to take a vow to ‘restore’ democracy and permanently free Khaleda Zia from jail through a strong street movement.
READ: Arrest warrants issued against BNP leaders Rizvi, Dulu
Swadhinta Forum, a pro-BNP platform, organised the programme demanding the release of Khaleda Zia and other political prisoners.
Rizvi alleged that plainclothes police picked up Swechchasebak Dal leader Mosabbir from the city’s Karwan Bazar area on Sunday morning.
“Our lives have no value and security. There’s no guarantee that we can go back home safely after this meeting. Anyone can be picked up anytime from anywhere,” he said.
The BNP leader urged the law enforcers to immediately return Mosabbir to his family members.
He also criticized Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for what he said accusing their party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman of conspiring against Bangladesh from London.
“If Tarique Rahman makes political statements, you (PM) find conspiracy there. It’s your government that has been conspiring against people for14 years staying in power,” the BNP leader said.
READ: Fakhrul visits ailing BNP leader Rizvi
Rizvi alleged that Sheikh Hasina wants to establish her monarchy in Bangladesh by ‘obliterating’ democracy and ‘destroying’ the electoral system. "The people of Bangladesh will never allow this to happen."
Files not missing but concealed, alleges BNP
BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday alleged that 17 files have been concealed from the health ministry at the behest of the minister concerned to hush up the evidence of corruption.
“There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t understand as to why 17 files have gone missing. It seems to me that the Awami League leaders and ministers are trying to flee the country. So, 17 files have been concealed to remove documents (of corruption),” he said.
Speaking at a human-chain programme, the BNP leader also said the files have been removed as per the instruction of the health minister so that no one can know under any circumstances about how much money has been spent on “providing percentage”.
Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the soaring prices of daily essentials.
Also read: Harassment started ahead of election, alleges BNP
According to media reports, 17 files have recently gone missing from the Health Ministry's Medical Education and Family Welfare Division and a general diary has been filed with Shahbagh Police Station in this connection.
Rizvi alleged that the handloom and weaving industry is on the verge of destruction during the tenure of this government for lack of patronage.
The BNP leader said huge money has been misappropriated from the Labour Welfare Fund. “We demand from this human chain that a white paper be published on the embezzlement of money from the fund.”
He also criticised the government for what he said its failure to control the skyrocketing prices of the daily essentials.
Also read: Dhaka now a poisonous-gas chamber: BNP
“There’s no reason for increasing the prices of commodities. But Awami League leaders need a percentage from every place. To ensure this percentage, their syndicate, their looters have spread everywhere to make their pockets heavier,” the BNP leader said.
He said the ruling party leaders and activists are indulging in violence and bloodletting over the lopsided Union Parishad polls with an aim to plunder public money after becoming chairmen.
Stating that their party chairperson Khaleda Zia is very sick, Rizvi urged the government to allow her to go abroad for advanced treatment.
Dhaka now a poisonous-gas chamber: BNP
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday bemoaned that the major cities in Bangladesh, including Dhaka, have become poisonous-gas chambers due to widespread pollution.
"The Prime Minister has gone to Glasgow. Wow! Dhaka has the highest rate of air pollution in South Asia. Dhaka, Chattogram and other cities of Bangladesh are now toxic-gas chambers. In fact, Bangladesh is a poisonous-gas chamber,” he said.
Speaking at a human-chain programme, the BNP leader also said the Prime Minister went to the Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, after destroying the trees, fish and water of Bangladesh. “How self-contradictory it can be!”
Also read: Harassment started ahead of election, alleges BNP
The Dhaka district unit of BNP arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the soaring prices of daily essentials.
Rizvi said all the opposition parties, environmentalists and civil society organisations opposed coal-fired power station at Rampal Upazila of Bagerhat near the Sundarbans, but the government has given permission to set up it.
He said the Prime Minister who is constructing the Rampal power plant to destroy the Sundarbans has gone to the world climate conference in Glasgow. “It’s like that an old woman wants to dance, but she doesn't know there’s no rhythm in her performance.”
On Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Scotland as she embarked on a two-week visit to the United Kingdom and France to attend the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and other events.
Also read: Now ‘extreme anarchy’ everywhere: Fakhrul
‘Looters’ hiking prices
Speaking at the same progarmme, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy alleged that the prices daily essentials are pushing up by the ruling party-backed plunderers despite having the adequate supply of goods.
"The prices of goods usually go up when there’s a scarcity or low production and low supply to the market. There’s now no shortage of goods and all items are there in the market, but their prices are high. When the supply of goods is sufficient, the prices of essentials are being hiked only in the interest of the Awami-looters syndicate,“ he said.
The BNP leader said common people are going through serious suffering due to the growing price hike of the daily essentials.
He alleged that people of no religion and community is now safe in the country as there is no democracy. “But the corrupt, bribe-takers and those who go to TVs and tell lies in favour of government are safe.”
Covid-19: BNP’s Rizvi shifted to ICU
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who has been undergoing treatment at Square Hospitals for the past two weeks with Covid-19 infections l, was shifted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as his condition worsened.
Rizvi’s oxygen level has dropped below 70, causing breathing problems l, said BNP Health Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam.
Also read: BNP’s Rizvi hospitalised with Covid-19
Besides, he said the BNP senior joint secretary general is also suffering from fever and cough. “He (Rizvi) was taken to the ICU of the hospital around 2:30 pm.”
On March 18, Rizvi was admitted to the Square Hospitals with high fever and cough caused by the coronavirus infections. He tested positive for the virus on March 17.
Also read: BNP leader Mosharraf, wife infected with Covid-19
Meanwhile, BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and his wife Bilkis Akhter was also admitted to the same hospital with coronavirus infections on Wednesday night.
BNP’s Rizvi hospitalised with Covid-19
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was admitted to Square Hospitals in the city with coronavirus infection on Thursday morning.