Staff Reporter:
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday accused Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of trying to create a ‘state within the state’ through its activities in the political landscape and universi-ties.
Speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, he warned that the country’s independence and sover-eignty could face a major conspiracy due to rising threats from across the border and the emergence of new forces.
“Has the DUCSU VP been given magistracy power to decide which shop on the campus is legal or ille-gal? He fined a shop Tk 3,000 and then deposited the money into Baitul Mal (the party’s fund). What is the legal basis for this?” the BNP leader asked.
‘7th November Projonma’ organized the program on journalist Dr Maruf Mallick’s book ‘Theoretical Analysis of Bangladeshi Nationalism: Crisis of Civic and Ethnic Nationalism’.
In any university, Rizvi said, it is the administration that should monitor who runs shops or markets on campus. Student leaders can raise concerns if the peaceful and orderly environment of the campus is be-ing disturbed, he said.
Rizvi said in the current reality, especially after 5 August, when the nation is facing constant threats, many divisive voices are being heard, saying that one side is bad and the other is good.
“In this changed situation, with continuous threats coming from neighboring countries, the way the po-litical situation is moving and the rise of certain forces, I believe this is creating an opportunity for a major conspiracy that could endanger our sovereignty and independence,” the BNP leader said.
He also said a planned campaign is underway to blame BNP for crimes such as extortion, sand lifting and stone theft, while similar allegations against Jamaat leaders are being downplayed.
When Jamaat attempts to show itself as good, it often appears that if BNP men are involved in sand lift-ing, Jamaat men are also connected, Rizvi said.
He, however, lamented that media outlets do not highlight the misdeeds of Jamaat leaders and activists, while allegations against BNP receive wide coverage.
He also said the media and social media often blame BNP for extortion, sand lifting or stone theft, but do not report that Jamaat leaders’ names also appear in such incidents, including cases of sexual harass-ment or abuse of women.
“Every family may have a black sheep. But if the parents punish the black sheep, that is a responsible family. The same goes for political parties,” the BNP leader said.
BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Organizing Secretary Principal Selim Bhuiyan and senior journalist Amirul Islam Kagoji, among others, also spoke at the event.
