BNP’s Rizvi endorses ‘boycott Indian products’ movement

Bangladesh Awami League has staged a farce in the name of parliamentary elections with the help of India, alleged Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday.

“Realising this, the people of Bangladesh have been protesting by boycotting Indian products. We consider this boycott of Indian products justified,” he said.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was speaking a media conference at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters in the city.

He read out a written statement at the conference where he said that 63 political parties, including BNP, have expressed their solidarity with the movement.

In his written statement, the BNP senior leader said Awami League stays in power with the support of India, not the people of Bangladesh. Awami League has staged a farce in the name of elections with the help of India. The independence and sovereignty of the country has been compromised to stay in power. India is not with the people of Bangladesh, rather they are with Awami League.

He further said people think India is responsible the for snatching of franchise, killing of democracy, enforced disappearances, murder and injustice in Bangladesh. The people are venting their anger by boycotting Indian products. ‘India out campaign’ has taken over every sphere, including the social media, of the country. This is not a political programme, rather a spontaneous movement of the people of Bangladesh.

Boycotting Indian products means boycotting Awami League as the party is a product of India, remarked the BNP leader.

In the written statement, Rizvi further said almost all the ministers are fawning on India at every chance. They have been talking and behaving as if Bangladesh has turned into a satellite state of India.

He further said the AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said, "Powerful countries could not meddle in Bangladesh’s elections as India was beside (us)." Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said, "There were many conspiracies regarding the 2014 elections; India was beside us at that time. India was beside us at the time of elections in 2018. India was and is beside us this time too."

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi added that the statements of Obaidul Quader and Hasan Mahmud prove that India has been interfering in all the affairs of Bangladesh, including the country’s independence, sovereignty, democracy, human rights and voting rights violating the UN charter.

He remarked that the Awami League has been staying in power for the last 16 years with the support and power of India instead of the people of Bangladesh.

The Awami League has made the whole country a “dummy state” to remain in power without any vote, Rizvi said.