Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday questioned as to why the ‘false cases’ against 60 lakh BNP leaders and activists have not been withdrawn even eight months after the fall of the dictator regime, while all past cases against the chief adviser have been cleared.
He posed the question at a discussion organised by the Nationalist Research Foundation at the National Press Club in the capital.
‘It’s been eight months, yet these cases remain pending. All the cases against the chief adviser have been withdrawn, of course he, too, was a victim of Sheikh Hasina’s hatred and anger, just as we suffered during our movement and struggle,’ Rizvi said.
The chief adviser and two other advisers did also face oppression and persecution. So, if their cases could be withdrawn, why not the cases against the 60 lakh people? he asked.
The BNP leader said that nearly eight months after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government an interim administration is in place, and while the BNP continues to criticise it, the party also hopes that it would ensure a smooth transition.
Rizvi accused that Sheikh Hasina had stolen free and fair elections and attempted to erase the people’s democratic rights, adding that it is now the people’s expectation that chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will reintroduce genuine elections.
Demanding a quick announcement of an election road map from the chief adviser, Rizvi said, ‘Why are you making the people’s hope swing between December and June like a pendulum?’
Rizvi once again blasted several past members of the judiciary, naming Justice Khairul Haque, Justice Enayetur Rahim, and Justice Asaduzzaman, accusing them of supporting a fascist regime.
He said that that those who had prolonged fascism during Sheikh Hasina’s rule must be held accountable to ensure that the judiciary is never again used to serve undemocratic purposes.
The interim government is running the country, and while most of the advisers are not involved in corruption, there are serious allegations of corruption against some individuals, which is alarming, Rizvi observed.
Criticising recent activities of student leaders, the BNP leader questioned as to why there should be reports of student leaders engaging in corrupt practices, including allegations against them of influencing appointments, and decisions in ministries for favour.
‘It is tarnishing the image of students. Why should they behave as if every ministry must have a student committee like a parliamentary committee?’ he further asked.
Rizvi went on to allege that student leaders have link to black-market activities, citing claims by a former director general of the Railways that during Ramadan, train tickets worth hundreds of crores of taka were sold illegally with the involvement of student leaders.
‘The interim government should have taken a firm action against this,’ he added.
The meeting was also attended by National University vice-chancellor ASM Aman Ullah, NRF convener Syed Abdal Ahmed, and its member-secretary Farid Uddin Ahmed.