Every problem can be solved in parliament and at the discussion table, not through a long march or street blockades, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Sunday.
Speaking at an event organised at the Dhaka Bar Association on the occasion of the 35th founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, he stressed that if a solution is to be reached, political parties must come to discussions.
Discussing the July Charter and the referendum verdict, Rizvi noted that BNP is not denying the necessity of respecting them. However, he added that there are some notes of dissent held by BNP as well as other political parties.
Referring to recent political demands, he questioned whether BNP would sit with folded hands when threatened with a move to a single-point demand if their seven-point demand was not accepted.
He also pointed out that while opponents talk about constitutional reform, there is no clue as to what they actually mean by reform.
Criticising the amir of Jamaat-e-Islami for saying that another revolution is knocking at the door, Rizvi urged him to look at history and go to the people.
He said that their political history is a history of surrender and repeatedly bowing down to autocratic forces, asking what revolution they have ever carried out to talk about revolution now.
Rizvi noted that the government is navigating through numerous plots and conspiracies at a time when it is taking various initiatives for development, while opposition groups are carrying out long march movements.
Citing economist expectations, he said that the various cards introduced by Tareq Rahman – such as family cards and expatriate cards – are expected to reduce countrywide poverty by 5 per cent.
He added that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s social safety net measures, including allowances for Imams, Muazzins, and Hindu priests, are all steps towards social security.
Expressing concern over ongoing unrest, Rizvi criticised those involved in burning vehicles and instigating protests. He said that activists from Jubo League and Chhatra League were ultimately found to be involved in the garment workers’ protests.
He added that it is clear who is conspiring and committing sabotage, revealing that a defeated force on one side and a new force on the other are working secretly. He emphasised that the people of this country will remain in this country and have no masters abroad.
The event was attended by Anwar Zahid Bhuiyan, president of Dhaka Bar; Abul Kalam Khan, general secretary; Khorshed Alam Mia, former president; Omar Farooq Farooqui, Dhaka Metropolitan public prosecutor; Alhaj Borhan Uddin, former president; Syed Nazrul Islam, former general secretary; Nihar Hossain Faruk, member secretary of the Dhaka Bar unit of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum; Iltutmish Sawdagar Anny, senior assistant general secretary of Dhaka Bar Association; and Md Abzal Hossain Mridha, office secretary of Dhaka Bar Association, among others.
