Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, acting secretary general of BNP, alleged that domestic and foreign instigation lay behind attempts to create instability in the country centring around labour unrest.
Speaking at a view-exchange with journalists at a Sylhet city hotel on Monday, he said defeated forces of Bangladesh are providing provocation from a neighbouring country.
Rizvi added that some political forces inside the country are also running propaganda to destabilise the new government. The government is working to strengthen the foundation of democracy by tackling these situations, he noted.
Rizvi said defeated forces are trying to take workers to the streets by misleading them, and evidence of the involvement of Awami League leaders and activists has been found in the incident.
Last Monday, police arrested 11 leaders and activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League from the spot.
Rizvi also claimed that an organisational secretary of Jagannath University Chhatra League posted on social media admitting their activities.
The BNP leader said the government is working for economic development, business expansion and increasing investment. He noted that the prime minister is trying to bring investment by visiting various countries and signing agreements and memorandums of understanding.
Under these circumstances, he said the opposition party should act responsibly instead of attempting to create instability by talking about revolution.
Citing BNP’s 17-year movement, Rizvi said the party openly campaigned for democracy, during which leaders and activists shed blood and sacrificed their lives.
On the other hand, he alleged that leaders and activists of Jamaat secretly operated by blending in with Chhatra League and Jubo League. For this reason, he described Jamaat as a secret organisation.
Noting that the current government had faced various crises since taking responsibility, he said fuel transportation through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted due to the Iran-US war, creating concern over fuel supply to factories and households.
However, Tarique Rahman, prime minister, took initiatives to import fuel from alternative countries.
Rizvi said a conspiracy is underway to create social instability in the country, but the BNP believed in the policy of tolerance.
He added that the government had taken a firm stance and is following a zero-tolerance policy against those involved in extortion, hooliganism, land grabbing and creating disorder.
Recalling the movement of various parties including Jamaat against Khaleda Zia in 1994, 1995 and 1996, he said the Awami League later came to power and sent various leaders to the gallows. Attempts to put the BNP in a fix by muddying the political situation would not succeed, he said.
He said the people of Bangladesh wanted to elect a government through a free and fair election.
On 12 February, the BNP and its alliance under the leadership of Tarique Rahman came to power through elections, and the public would not accept attempts to come to power through stolen pathways or backdoors, he added.
Regarding candidate nomination in the upcoming local government elections, Rizvi said district and upazila BNP leaders would select candidates through discussion, considering popularity and winning prospects.
Nomination activities would gain momentum after the announcement of the election schedule, he said.
Present at the view-exchange meeting were Professor Farhad Halim Donor, standing committee member of BNP; Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, administrator of Sylhet City Corporation; Mifta Siddiqui, assistant organising secretary of the central executive committee; and Advocate Emran Ahmad and Abdul Malik Chowdhury, members of parliament, among others.
