Dhaka: Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday claimed that the opportunity afforded to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to speak at a Global Journalists Club of South Asia event in India was a deliberate move orchestrated by Indian policymakers.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Rizvi made these remarks following a visit where he placed wreaths and offered prayers at the graves of BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, marking the founding anniversary of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB). Rizvi asserted that Sheikh Hasina is a fugitive facing multiple murder and corruption charges, and emphasized that Bangladesh has sought her extradition under a 2013 agreement with India, yet received no response.
Rizvi, who also serves as BNP Senior Joint Secretary General, criticized India’s decision to allow Hasina to participate in political activities instead of extraditing her, suggesting it was a slight to Bangladesh’s national sovereignty. He highlighted concerns over mutual respect between the two nations and condemned the situation as a disregard for Bangladesh’s internal affairs.
The BNP leader further stated that despite formal communications from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, India proceeded with the event in Delhi on August 5. Rizvi pointed out the significance of the date, marking Hasina’s fall from power and a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s political history. He argued that permitting her to speak on that day was a calculated strategy by Indian policymakers.
Rizvi lamented the loss of over a thousand young lives during the mass uprising against Hasina’s regime and criticized India, which he referred to as the world’s largest democracy, for allowing her political engagement on a day symbolizing her ouster. He also alluded to historical international conspiracies following initiatives by Bangladesh to achieve self-sufficiency, drawing parallels with the assassination of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
The BNP leader concluded by suggesting that similar conspiracies persist today, threatening Bangladesh’s sovereignty and political stability.