Staff Reporter :
Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Senior Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has stated that state reforms will not be possible as long as individuals associated with the Awami League remain in government administration.
He made this statement on Saturday, September 28, at a meeting organized in memory of Shahid Jahiduzzaman Tanvir, who was shot by police during the anti-discrimination student movement in the capital.
Rizvi said, “During the July-August movement, the fascist government took the lives of nearly 2,000 people across the country. Many of the Awami League’s allies are still in the administration. Those who fired on innocent people to protect Hasina are the ones still holding positions of power.”
He also claimed that state reform is impossible without holding the killers accountable. “Those who have the blood of ordinary people on their hands must be brought to justice. Otherwise, the souls of the martyrs will not rest in peace,” he added.
Regarding Bangladesh’s relationship with neighboring India, Rizvi stressed the importance of mutual respect for Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty, urging a departure from a relationship characterized by dominance.
Referring to Bangladesh’s 2018 election, he said, “The whole world boycotted Hasina’s election, except for India, which supported it. The border between Bangladesh and India is one of the bloodiest. If India kills Bangladeshi citizens, we have every right to speak out against Delhi.”
Rizvi declared that the days of subjugation to India are over, adding, “The people of Bangladesh will never bow down again.”
He also called on the interim government to undertake necessary reforms and ensure free, fair, and impartial elections in the country.