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BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday criticised deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying the reported recovery of a large quantity of gold ornaments from bank vaults registered under her name exposed how big a ‘thief’ she was.
“I saw in the newspaper that 832 bhori of gold was found in two Agrani Bank vaults belonging to Sheikh Hasina! How big a thief must someone be for such things to happen? It is natural for her to flee. She knew she was a thief,” he said, UNB reports.
Rizvi made the remarks while speaking at a Doa and Milad programme organised by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at Nayapaltan Bhasani Bhaban, seeking divine blessings for the speedy recovery and good health of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
He said no gold was ever found in any bank vault in the name of Khaleda Zia, unlike Sheikh Hasina, as she is a patriotic politician.
The BNP leader said despite losing her husband, home, and witnessing her children being abused, Khaleda never left the country.
He said the BNP chairperson remained in Bangladesh with immense courage and patriotism, committed to protecting the nation.
In contrast, Rizvi said, Sheikh Hasina left the country at the first sign of trouble. “When the difficult time came (in 2008), she quickly fled to her son. And later, seeing the people’s anger, she again escaped.”
The BNP leader recalled how Sheikh Hasina and her party leaders used to boast, ‘Bangabandhu’s daughter does not flee the country!’
“But those whose character is that of thieves, robbers, and bandits are cowards. When bandits, robbers, and thieves are chased, they have to run, leaving behind whatever they cannot take. She (Hasina) did not get the chance to take that gold,” he said.
Rizvi alleged that Sheikh Hasina wanted to weaken Bangladesh and make the country subservient to others by indulging in widespread plundering.
“But because of the unwavering determination of Begum Khaleda Zia, and the way she, along with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, kept the nation united, Sheikh Hasina could not succeed, and in the end, she had to flee,” he observed.
Following the ouster of Hasina, Rizvi said the interim government, led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, has been running the country for 15 months. “Now the World Bank says that six crore people in Bangladesh are at risk of falling into poverty, and three crore are already below the poverty line. Why should this happen? This is not what we want. The people do not want this either.”
He said the interim government has promised to hold a free and fair national election in February next year, before Ramadan, so that the people can exercise their right to form a government of their choice.
The BNP leader expressed hope that the interim government will continue to work neutrally to restore democracy and ensure people’s voting rights through the next national election.
He praised BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, saying the nation prays for her recovery and holds deep affection for her commitment to the country. “Despite numerous illnesses and many hardships, she never abandoned the party, the country, or its soil, and never backed down. We take great pride in having a leader like her.”
Rizvi said Khaleda Zia has shown them the way out of deep darkness, teaching how to remain steadfast during crises, speak with restraint against opponents, and maintain unity even in turbulent times.
He accused the previous Awami League government of deliberately worsening Khaleda Zia’s health during her imprisonment. “She walked into jail healthy in a false and unjust case, but later her condition worsened through various means… This was a conspiracy driven by Sheikh Hasina’s vindictiveness.”