India interfering in Bangladesh’s sovereignty supporting Hasina: Rizvi

Dhaka,  8 Feb - BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused India of directly interfering in Bangladesh's sovereignty by allowing Sheikh Hasina a 'freehand' to speak.

"India may have provided her shelter, but from there, she is inciting unrest, trying to create anarchy, and Indian policymakers are supporting her. This is really strange," he said while speaking at a book launch event on Saturday.

He said such a position by another state on an independent democratic nation is a gross violation of all international norms and principles.

Rizvi went on to say, “I am surprised that in a democratic country like India, some journalists and the media are making such shameless statements, just like Sheikh Hasina did, siding with those fascists. It seems that the hidden treasure they have accumulated for a long time has been lost.”

“Not only Sheikh Hasina but also the policymakers in India cannot tolerate the practice of democracy in Bangladesh, the possibility of development in a democratic state! Why is this? We cannot expect this from a democratic country,” the BNP leader lamented.

Rizvi questioned, “Some Indians are saying that Bangladesh will no longer exist. How can Indian policymakers tolerate the idea that a neighboring independent country will cease to exist?”

The BNP senior leader also urged people to stay vigilant against the threat of counter-revolution. “We, all of us who support democratic forces, must take cautious steps so that no one can take advantage of any anarchy. We must also remember that the counter-revolution always lurks, and we must not allow it to take hold.”

He emphasized that the mistakes made after the revolutions in various countries should not be repeated. He believed that if these lessons were learned, there would never be a counter-revolution again.

Rizvi said that the country would progress along the path of democracy and would not accept anything that was anti-national, anti-democratic, or detrimental to sovereignty.

“We will never accept anything that goes against what Bengalis' history and culture represents, and we will never tolerate interference from others in advancing it. This is the way we must move forward. We must preserve the changes we have made through our efforts,” he added.