Staff Reporter :
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday accused the interim government of using force to prevent Ishraque Hossain from assuming office as mayor, despite a court ruling in his favor.
“Even after the court’s decision, Ishraque is not being allowed to take the oath. This clearly shows the interim government is misusing its power,” Rizvi told reporters while speaking in Khilkhet. “If Dr Shahadat can take office as mayor in Chattogram, what fault lies with Ishraque?”
He made these remarks while speaking to reporters in Khilkhet after visiting BNP activist Rakibul Hasan, who was injured during the July Uprising.
Rizvi criticised Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, calling his conduct immature and unbalanced. “His statements reflect a lack of maturity, which is perhaps due to his sudden elevation to a key state role at a young age,” he said.
He also alleged that the real instigators of the 2024 mass uprising have not yet been held accountable, accusing the interim government of taking more harmful steps than beneficial ones.
Commenting on the role of law enforcement during recent protests, Rizvi said, “When university teachers marched to Jamuna demanding housing, they were disrespected, and the police acted against them. This is reminiscent of the oppression seen under Sheikh Hasina’s regime.”
Rakibul Hasan, a member of the BNP’s volunteer wing, was injured on 18 July last year during a protest at ECB Chattar in Dhaka. He was reportedly assaulted by police and ruling party activists while participating in an anti-government demonstration.
A delegation from the pro-BNP platform ‘Amra BNP Poribar (We Are BNP Family)’, led by Convener Atikur Rahman Ruman, also visited Rakibul and spoke with his mother.
