Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has alleged that deep-rooted conspiracies, both inside and outside the country, are underway to weaken nationalist forces by specifically targeting its acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Speaking at a protest rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday, he said, “There is a coordinated plot from within the state and beyond, and Tarique Rahman is the target. The aim is to destabilize nationalist forces through these attacks.”
The rally, organized by the Dhaka North and South chapters of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), protested what the party termed “malicious propaganda and defamatory remarks by a clandestine group” against Tarique Rahman.
Rizvi argued that Tarique is being targeted precisely because he has been organizing people from 10,000 miles away — mobilizing them from villages to cities and up to the national level. “That’s why several political parties are vindictive toward him. Tarique Rahman has never sheltered any criminals,” he added.
He also dismissed ongoing campaigns against the BNP as part of a broader effort to undermine democracy. “We can handle all propaganda and conspiracies against democracy because the people are with us. The ruling clique fears the people — otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking about delaying elections or shifting to proportional representation (PR). They are muddying the waters to fish in troubled streams,” Rizvi said.
Referring to recent smear campaigns, Rizvi alleged that various Islamic groups were spreading propaganda on Facebook. He cited a rape case involving a Hindu woman in Muradnagar, Comilla, where he claimed the youth wing of the BNP was falsely implicated. “Even the victim’s husband confirmed no one from BNP was involved. It was actually local associates of an adviser who were implicated,” he said.
Rizvi also pointed to the recent push for proportional representation, which he claimed began after a joint statement was released following Tarique Rahman’s meeting with Dr. Muhammad Yunus in London. “Now the intention behind calling for PR elections is clear,” he asserted.
The rain-soaked rally ended with a brief march. It was chaired by Dhaka North DAB President Professor Dr. Sarker Mahbub Ahmed Shamim and addressed by BNP Chairperson’s Adviser and DAB Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, along with former DAB President Professor Dr. Harun Al Rashid.
