Dhaka //

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi commented that India only wants to be friends with a terrible dictator like Sheikh Hasina and not with anyone else.

He made this comment in the speech of the chief guest at the financial donation ceremony of the missing and murdered people in the past agitations of BNP on the occasion of the organization’s 16th founding anniversary organized by the Bangladesh Jatiyatavadi Palli Pali Pikachu Association at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday afternoon.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, ‘When a central and influential minister of India humiliates me, neglects me and speaks bold words to the people of Bangladesh, we will feel emotional. People of Bangladesh must have emotions. India does not want friendship between us, they want friendship with a terrible bloodthirsty dictator like Sheikh Hasina. They do not like the people of Bangladesh. If their only choice is Sheikh Hasina, they can do madhabori in Bangladesh. If Sheikh Hasina is there, India’s dominance will expand in Bangladesh.

Rizvi said, “One of our advisers said something about sending hilsa fish to India. He said, “We export hilsa fish.” It will not work if you talk with emotions here. I can say in this regard that Bengali people are also present in India and their main religious festival is Durga Puja. We know that Hilsa fish acts as a major ingredient during Durga Puja. We have never stopped the export of hilsa fish, we ourselves buy a medium to small hilsa fish for 1800 to 2000 taka. We still export hilsa fish despite accepting the price increase on us.

He said, “Our financial advisor talked about emotional questions. The question of emotions comes only when we see the Indian Home Minister saying, ‘If you see a Bangladeshi on the border, you will punish him by hanging his legs upwards.’ Then emotions will be created in us.”

Rizvi commented that Begum Khaleda Zia never compromised on the sovereignty of the country. He said, “Martyr President Ziaur Rahman spoke about protecting independence and sovereignty. He gave us that passion, which was cherished by Begum Khaleda Zia. He never compromised on the question of the country’s sovereignty. This entire nation of ours is very passionate about their own country and state. At the time you are talking about the export of hilsa fish, the export may happen but when the home minister of India says, “If you find a Bangladeshi at the border, hang his legs.” Then why don’t I say we will not give hilsa fish.’

He said, “It has always been import and export trade. But emotions come when those who humiliate us, who treat us like slaves, then we will say why we give the hilsa fish? We import onions from India. But when there is a crisis in India, they stop exporting onions. They raise tariffs on exports. But they don’t give us an inch.

Rizvi said, “If India considers the people of Bangladesh as second-class citizens, then our emotions will be extreme. It is because of the emotions of the people of Bangladesh that we have repeatedly won the democratic movement here.” We achieved independence in 1971 through a bloody war because of the passion of the people of Bangladesh.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi mentioned that he saw the sound of patriotism in Advisor Farida’s speech. He said, “Advisor Farida Akhtar’s speech seems acceptable to me. He apologized and said, “I don’t know if we can give hilsa fish to India this time.” I see a kind of patriotism in his speech. He spoke with a very strong position in this regard. People all over the country thought Farida Akhter’s speech as if she echoed the words of the people.

Without commenting on the fact that it will take a long time to hold a free and fair election, the senior joint secretary general of BNP said, “They (Awami League) cut our state constitution into pieces and made it a piece of cloth like themselves.” It means that when he thinks he will eat from that thong, he will put it back. Now the real essence of this state constitution is the civil rights of the people, they recommend all the necessary reforms that should be given to the Election Commission to conduct free and fair elections and to ensure the independence of the Election Commission. Then it should not take much time to hold a free and fair election.

BNP’s information affairs secretary Azizul Bari Helal, research affairs secretary agriculturist Shamimur Rahman Shamim, executive committee member Nazim Uddin Alam and many others also spoke on the occasion.