BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has alleged that defeated domestic forces, backed by instigation from a neighbouring country, are attempting to destabilise the nation by exploiting worker unrest.
Speaking to journalists at a hotel in Sylhet city on Monday, Rizvi said that internal elements were spreading propaganda to undermine the administration.
He added that the administration remained firmly committed to strengthening the country’s democratic foundations.
Rizvi claimed that evidence confirms the involvement of Awami League, Chhatra League, and Jubo League leaders and activists in misleading workers onto the streets.
Police arrested 11 Chhatra League and Jubo League figures from the scene yesterday, while an organisational secretary of Jagannath University Chhatra League admitted their activities in a social media post, he added.
Critiquing Jamaat-e-Islami Amir’s statement that “another revolution is knocking at the door”, Rizvi questioned why a new revolution was being touted merely eight months after the government assumed office.
He urged political leaders to act responsibly and engage in constructive parliamentary dialogue instead of mobilising people through long marches.
He made the remarks as PM Tarique Rahman was travelling abroad to sign bilateral agreements and MoUs aimed at boosting economic growth and investment.
Addressing energy disruptions caused by the Iran–US conflict and fuel transport obstacles in the Strait of Hormuz, Rizvi highlighted that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took swift initiatives to import fuel from alternative countries, restoring power and gas supplies.
Recalling BNP’s 17-year struggle for democracy, Rizvi contrasted his party’s sacrifices with Jamaat-e-Islami, describing Jamaat as a “secret organisation” whose activists secretly operated within Chhatra League and Jubo League.
Pointing to Jamaat’s 1994–1996 agitations against Begum Khaleda Zia and subsequent events under Awami League rule, he asserted that attempts to corner the BNP would fail.
Stating that the public elected the BNP-led alliance on 12 February under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, Rizvi insisted that power grabs through the back door will not be accepted.
He also reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance policy against extortion, land grabbing, and social disruption.
On local elections, Rizvi said district and upazila BNP leaders will select popular, winnable candidates through discussions, with nomination drives intensifying once election schedules are announced.
The meeting was attended by BNP Standing Committee member Professor Farhad Halim Donor, Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Co-Organising Secretary Mifta Siddiqui, and MP Advocate Emran Ahmad Chowdhury and MP Abdul Malik Chowdhury.
