Staff reporter :
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday alleged that the now-banned Awami League and a “covert group” were involved in spreading misinformation against the BNP.
“There are similarities in the behaviour and statements of the defeated forces and the group. As in the past, they are still spreading misinformation against the BNP,” he said.
Rizvi were distributing awareness leaflets as part of a dengue prevention campaign organised by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) in the capital’s Shantinagar area.
He said the Awami League had long been involved in spreading misinformation and that another “secretive group” had now joined it.
“There is evidence of a kind of relationship between them. They themselves had said that they would forgive the Awami League,” he added.
The BNP leader said propaganda had previously been spread portraying the BNP as a militant political party and claiming that people of other religions would not be safe if the party came to power.
The government, he said, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had demonstrated that conspirators could not implement their plans if the government remained vigilant.
Rizvi said the BNP had contacted every Durga Puja mandap and held discussions with the concerned committees ahead of the festival. BNP leaders and activists had worked round the clock to ensure security during the celebrations, he added.
He also said many people from the neighbouring country had visited Bangladesh to attend the Durga Puja celebrations and praised the safe and peaceful environment during this year’s festivities.
Rizvi said the BNP believed in transparency and acted accordingly.
“The BNP implements what it promises. The commitments made by the party before the election are being implemented sincerely since the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office,” he said.
Referring to the distribution of Family Cards and Farmers’ Cards, Rizvi said economists believed the initiatives could reduce the country’s poverty rate by a further five percentage points this year.
He described the initiatives as an achievement of the government.
On the dengue prevention campaign, the BNP acting secretary general said leaflet distribution had resumed after a break of several days.
The campaign would continue to raise public awareness, protect people from dengue and reduce the risk of infection, he added.
BNP Joint Secretary General Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, Health Affairs Secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam, Organising Secretary Kazi Sayedul Alam Babul and Secretary for Volunteer Affairs Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu were present on the occasion.
