Sheikh Hasina will never be welcomed back by people: Rizvi

Should Sheikh Hasina return to the country, the people will never accord her a reception, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Acting Secretary-General of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Political Adviser to the Prime Minister said on Sunday.

He also said that Sheikh Hasina is currently issuing threats from India, saying, “I am coming back, I will do this and that.” By issuing such declarations from India, she imagines she can return home to crowds greeting her with drums and applause; she is merely indulging in daydreams.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made these remarks as the chief guest today at a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) to mark the National Revolution and Solidarity Day on 7 November. The event took place at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) auditorium of Dhaka University.

Addressing the gathering, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi declared, “In Bengal—a land that gives birth to brave sons—no fugitive, no coward who flees like a jackal, and no tyrant who hesitates not to spill the blood of their own country’s children will ever fly back to usurp power with public acceptance. This will simply never happen.”

Criticising Sheikh Hasina’s regime, Rizvi noted that while her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had established BAKSAL, Sheikh Hasina crafted a far more terrifying incarnation of it under a different guise. During her rule, every sphere of the state was brought under her absolute control.

The BNP acting secretary-general added that the regime maintained its grip on power by weaponising state institutions, including law enforcement agencies.

Supported by the Indian government on one hand and controlling state machinery on the other, she established a fascist regime, he stated.

The July 2024 Mass Uprising was the culmination of long-standing student and public protests and resistance against this tyranny, Rizvi added.

Highlighting the significance of 7 November as National Revolution and Solidarity Day, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi remarked that during the 17 years of fascist rule, official observance of the day was prohibited. Nevertheless, various social and political organisations kept the occasion alive, ensuring that the essence and underlying spirit of 7 November were never erased.

He added that 7 November initiated the journey of multi-party democracy in Bangladesh and secured democratic rights. It also marked the beginning of a foreign policy and domestic decision-making process free from external influence. Who Bangladesh chooses to befriend or build alliances with remains the sole prerogative of its government and people; Bangladesh’s foreign policy will not be dictated by external instructions or signals.

Rizvi further observed that after independence, a climate was created where citizens were deprived of freedom of speech and political expression. Anyone criticising the government risked enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killing. The Rakkhi Bahini was formed to ruthlessly suppress opposition leaders and activists. The events of 7 November delivered the nation from that atmosphere, establishing an environment for fearless political expression.

Speaking at the event, Chhatra Dal Central President Rakibul Islam Rakib stated that Bangladesh failed to achieve genuine independence immediately after 1971. During that era, fascism and BAKSAL were repeatedly imposed on the nation, alongside multiple coups within the military. However, through the Sepoy-People’s Revolution and the landmark steps taken by the martyred President Ziaur Rahman, the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh were ultimately safeguarded.

Rakib further remarked that from the establishment of BAKSAL to the consolidation of fascism up until 2024, only one political entity has been consistently responsible: the Awami League (whose activities are currently banned in the country).

The party has repeatedly posed a threat to Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty, he stated. 

The JCD central president further said the Awami League compromised national interests in its dealings with neighbouring states and engaged in continuous conspiracies. Although its leaders have now fled the country, their plotting remains unabated.

Moderated by JCD Central General Secretary Nasir Uddin, the discussion was also addressed by its Organisational Secretary Amanullah Aman, Senior Joint General Secretary Shyamal Malum, alongside leaders and activists from city, various universities, and college units of the organisation.