Staff Reporter :
BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday claimed that Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader is weary from constantly thinking about the BNP.
Speaking at a human chain event in front of the National Press Club, Rizvi remarked, “Obaidul Quader talks a lot these days, showing what seems to be exaggerated sympathy for the BNP. He is tired from all his considerations of the BNP.”
The event, organized by the ‘Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel Mukti Parishad,’ called for the unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is under house arrest, Joint-Secretary General Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, and other incarcerated leaders of the party and its ffiliated organizations. Rizvi criticized the Awami League’s candidate selection for the upcoming Upazila Parishad polls, suggesting that the party is sidelining genuine politicians and becoming “an empty vessel.” He expressed concern over the lack of public interest and participation in the polls, especially from pro-democracy groups.
“The majority of ruling party ministers and MPs are primarily businessmen and opportunists. They’re buying nominations, while true politicians are absent from the polls,” Rizvi stated.
He directly addressed Quader, saying, “Your party has become an empty tin box… Focus on your own party before talking about the BNP. An empty vessel makes much noise, and that’s why your voices are louder.”
Rizvi also accused the ruling party leaders of highlighting the BNP’s alleged weaknesses and failures merely to distract from their own party’s shortcomings and the lack of public support for what he called “sham elections” to the upazila Parishads.
Despite instructions from senior officials asking ministers’ and MPs’ relatives not to contest in the upazila polls, Rizvi claimed that these requests were largely ignored.