Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has criticised the role of neighbouring India that the country has apparently adopted over the forthcoming 12th parliamentary elections and ensuing political situation in Bangladesh.
Rizvi said India is a democratic country. A tradition of democracy is there. How that India could take a stand in favour of an “undemocratic and autocrat” directly! Though they said about staying with the people of Bangladesh, they have actually taken a stand against the 180 million people of Bangladesh, which is regrettable.
The senior BNP leader was addressing a virtual press briefing on Friday evening.
Alleging that “With the support of India, the Awami League has been looting the country for the last 15 years”, Rizvi said India itself is a democratic country, but in Bangladesh they have been supporting a government that was formed without any vote. That means the territorial independence and people of Bangladesh bear no importance to them. A certain political party is more important to them. Through this Awami League they have been controlling Bangladesh, he alleged.
Slamming the role of India, the BNP leader expressed that India considers them hostile who protest at border killings and unilateral trade and demand fair share of water.
Though the government of India considers the people of Bangladesh as its opposition, the Bangladeshis consider the people of India their friends, he remarked.
The BNP leader also talked about China and Russia’s support to the incumbent Awami League government.
He observed that traditionally they have authoritarian governments in power. As a result they could lend support to another authoritarian government. But the support of India’s democratic government is regrettable.
Highlighting that the election without the participation of BNP and other main opposition parties cannot be participatory, BNP’s senior joint secretary general said the government tried to split the BNP in different ways. “But none but a few greedy people went to them. Those who have taken part in this staged election out of greed will accrue nothing but a bad name.”
He alleged that the law enforcement, judiciary, education department and all other bodies are under the control of the government. “They (the government) want to stay in power by any means.”
“We don’t want power. Rather, we seek a fair election. The election won’t be fair if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not resign. But she doesn’t want to resign. Because she wants to stage the election on her own,” he stated.
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi further claimed that over 150,000 lawsuits have been lodged and over 20 million leaders and activists of BNP could not stay at their homes.