BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said there is no alternative to neutral administration to ensure good governance.
Rizvi, also the political adviser to prime minister, warned that a lack of neutrality and efficiency in the administration leads to chaos, looting, and instability within the state, which in turn creates opportunities for intervention by foreign or expansionist powers.
He made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion meeting organised on Thursday at the North South University auditorium to mark the Independence and National Day. Rizvi added that if national unity is upheld in the country’s interest, no power will be able to “swallow” Bangladesh.
Reflecting on the history of independence, he noted that the independence of Bangladesh is not limited to the nine-month Liberation War but is the result of a long historical struggle.
The BNP leader traced this desire for self-determination back to 1757, noting that while attempts were made repeatedly to suppress the people of this region, they consistently fought to establish their rights.
He cited Vietnam as a unique example of how a nation can stand tall through a prolonged struggle against foreign rule and occupation.
Regarding the history of the Liberation War, Rizvi claimed there have been various attempts to distort the narrative, sometimes portraying it merely as a war between India and Pakistan.
Rizvi emphasised that the reality was a war of the people of Bangladesh, involving participants from all walks of life, including farmers, labourers, students, the army, police, and the EPR.
He further alleged that a tendency has emerged to limit the contributions of the independence struggle to a single family or group, which he described as a corruption of the national soul.
Regarding the younger generation, he remarked that while the true history of independence has not been properly presented to them, they are beginning to understand the truth and are speaking out against injustice.
Rizvi pointed out that the nature of youth is to rebel against wrongdoing.
Defining the true meaning of independence, Rizvi argued that a nation is not fully independent merely through geographical sovereignty.
He maintained that independence is only complete when civil liberties, freedom of expression, voting rights, and the rule of law are ensured.
The BNP leader added that the core spirit of democracy is the rights of the people and freedom of speech, noting that if only the voice of one leader or one party is established as the truth, it is not democracy.
On the subject of administrative neutrality, he warned that judging officials based on their political affiliations – such as whether a DC or a Divisional Commissioner “belongs to us” – leads to extreme division and the eventual decline of both democracy and the state.
Rizvi called for a system based on merit and competition to ensure neutrality and efficiency.
He warned that a lack of good governance increases state chaos and leads to the looting and laundering of public funds abroad, providing international powers with opportunities to intervene. Such weakness, he noted, could lead to the state being labelled a “failed state.”
Rizvi stressed that while there may be political differences, everyone must stand united on questions of sovereignty, independence, and national interest. He called for the history of the country to be written by recognising the contributions of everyone involved, which he believes would reduce confusion and division.
He reiterated that the Liberation War was a fight by the people of this country against Pakistani exploitation and deprivation, and while India provided cooperation, the war belonged fundamentally to the people of Bangladesh.
