Rizvi Challenges Opponents to Produce Proof of BNP-Awami League Deal
BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has challenged political opponents to produce documentary evidence for their claim that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) came to power through an agreement with the Awami League. He also accused unnamed quarters of spreading misinformation about Jamaat-e-Islami’s secretary general to mislead the public.
DHAKA, Oct. 24 — BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi accused Jamaat-e-Islami of maintaining an understanding with the Awami League, saying his party had presented documentary evidence to support the allegation.
Speaking to reporters after a dengue awareness campaign in Fakirapool, Dhaka, Rizvi said Jamaat’s leader had expressed willingness to forgive the Awami League’s past actions shortly after Aug. 5, when the bloodshed surrounding the political upheaval was still fresh.
Rizvi also cited Jamaat’s past joint movements with the Awami League against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, alleging that those campaigns involved arson and violence.
His remarks came after Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar accused the BNP on Friday of becoming more moderate after reaching an agreement with the Awami League, whose activities are banned.
Rizvi challenged Jamaat to provide evidence for its allegation, insisting that his party’s claims were supported by documents and media reports. He also pointed to Jamaat’s participation in the 1986 elections alongside the Awami League, despite its previous criticism of those who contested elections under the military rule of H.M. Ershad.
He further alleged that Jamaat was seeking political legitimacy from the Awami League, citing historical interactions between Awami League leaders and Jamaat’s former leader, the late Ghulam Azam.
Rizvi said Jamaat’s position on the 1971 Liberation War remained a source of controversy and alleged that the party wanted the Awami League’s endorsement to strengthen its political standing. He also accused Parwar of attempting to discredit the current government through misinformation and propaganda.
The allegations and counterclaims were not independently verified.
BNP Steps Up Dengue Prevention Campaign
Rizvi said the BNP was conducting awareness campaigns to help contain the spread of dengue, which he described as a growing concern in Dhaka and other parts of the country, particularly in the Khulna and Chattogram divisions.
He said the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was taking measures to address the outbreak, including providing free dengue testing at government hospitals.
According to Rizvi, city corporations had also been instructed to intensify efforts to remove stagnant water and clean drains and sewers to reduce mosquito breeding sites.
He said BNP workers had been directed to raise public awareness nationwide and help clean drains, canals, sewers and other areas where Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue, can breed.
