BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused fugitive leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate organisations of orchestrating unrest, arson and violence in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector in the name of a workers’ movement.
He alleged that Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League leaders and activists, acting on the instructions of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India, were trying to destabilise the country.
Rizvi made the allegations while addressing a rally as the chief guest at Kazir Dewri in Chittagong city on Thursday afternoon, ahead of a procession marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day.
He said that while the country was moving towards production and development under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, unrest was being created in the garment sector in the name of a movement.
He also alleged that police vehicles and police boxes were being set on fire and that a man named Toufiq had been beaten to death while trying to photograph protesters.
Rizvi said the government had acknowledged the workers’ legitimate demands and given assurances about the wage board. He claimed that genuine garment workers were no longer involved in the movement.
Questioning who was leading the protests, he alleged that Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League activists, encouraged by leaders who had fled to a neighbouring country, were setting fire to garment factories, shutting down factories and killing people.
The BNP leader further claimed that all 11 people recently arrested in connection with the unrest were Jubo League and Chhatra League leaders and activists.
He said an organising secretary of Jagannath University Chhatra League was among those arrested and had proudly publicised his participation in the movement on Facebook.
Rizvi said this showed that support and provocation were coming from a neighbouring country, which, he alleged, did not want Bangladesh to remain peaceful and stable.
State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Md Helal Uddin, MP Sayeed Al Noman, BNP Organising Secretary Mahbuber Rahman Shamim, and leaders and activists from different levels of Chittagong city BNP were present at the rally.
