Razzaque’s remarks expose govt scheme to arrest and jail BNP leaders: Rizvi

BNP on Monday said senior ruling party leader and Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque’s comments on the jailed BNP leaders have exposed that the political violence over BNP’s October 28 grand rally and subsequent arrests and jailing of opposition leaders was a premeditated plan by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Speaking at a virtual press briefing, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also alleged that the judiciary has been working at the behest of the Prime Minister.

“In an interview with a private TV channel, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said 20,000 BNP leaders and activists have been arrested and kept in jail to smoothly hold the election of seat sharing. He revealed the truth with great joy,” the BNP leader said.

Rizvi referred to the agriculture minister‍‍`s claim that BNP was offered that if the party participated in the election, the election schedule would be postponed and all its leaders would be released from jail overnight.

“But BNP did not agree to it. This confession of the minister has proved that the violence, killing, false cases and arrests by police after foiling BNP’s October 28 rally and ongoing raids on the house of the leaders of BNP and other opposition parties, including BNP, and arrest trade are pre-planned by Sheikh Hasina,” he said.

The BNP leader also said Razzaque finally admitted that the country‍‍`s laws, courts, justice, law enforcement agencies, administration, and other state machinery all are in the hands of the Awami League government. “Judiciary and Awami League have become the same entity. There is no separate entity and there is no law in the country... everything is going on at the behest of Sheikh Hasina.”

He said 1.5 lakh cases have also been filed against BNP leaders and activists on the orders of Sheikh Hasina. “Opposition leaders and activists have been killed in prison as per the government‍‍`s blueprint, destroying the existence of the judiciary.”

"Judiciary is not running at the speed of law- rather it is running at the speed of Ganabhaban as per Sheikh Hasina‍‍`s instructions,” Rizvi observed.

He said the opposition leaders and activists have been jailed and sentenced to different terms as per the will of the Prime Minister. “Abdur Razzaque proved it himself through his statement.”

The BNP leader also alleged that the judiciary, the last resort of the people for justice, has virtually been turned into a unit of the Awami League since the tested Awami League leaders have been appointed to the Judiciary. “The aspect of Awami model of independent judiciary and rule of law is clear through the words of the Agriculture Minister.”

He claimed that over 20,000 ‘innocent’ BNP leaders and workers have been arrested and jailed, snatching their right to bail, purely for political purposes to hold the lopsided January 7 national election without any obstacle.

Rizvi slammed journalist and former Indian state minister for external affairs MJ Akbar for praising the current ‘despotic’ government of Sheikh Hasina.

Speaking at a seminar at the Foreign Service Academy (FSA) in Dhaka MJ Akbar lauded Hasina, saying she is the second liberator of Bangladesh as she liberated democracy from dictatorship.

“Those who knew about him were shocked to hear his speech…MJ Akbar sang praises for autocracy like a blind person. How could a prudent journalist and politician like MJ Akbar speak in favour of a dictator, standing against 18 crore Bangladeshis?” Rizvi said.

He said the people of Bangladesh want to know the Indian interests Sheikh Hasina protects by staying in power without public support.