Questioning the ongoing killings of Bangladeshis at the frontier, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Senior Joint Secretary General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Political Adviser to the Prime Minister, has warned that repeated border bloodshed will prevent the development of strong bilateral relations with India.
Speaking at the 45th National Council of the Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday, Rizvi pointed to an incident on Saturday where two individuals were shot in the border district of Brahmanbaria.
"When will this bloodshed stop?" Rizvi asked. "Even the people of India do not support such behavior. We want friendly ties, but you cannot repeatedly bloody the border and expect good relations. To build a permanently positive relationship with Bangladesh, Delhi must abandon this violent mindset."
He added that while India’s internal elections are its own affair and of no concern to Bangladesh, the recurring shooting of Bangladeshi citizens at the border remains unacceptable.
Shifting focus to domestic affairs, the prime minister's adviser assured the audience that the newly elected government is making every effort to implement its pre-election pledges. He praised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's relentless work ethic, noting that he works from early morning until late at night to ensure the welfare of the citizens.
"If the prime minister can continuously inspire the people, we can too. The public desired exactly this kind of leadership," Rizvi said. "Experts still acknowledge that our current progress is built on the groundbreaking steps taken by Ziaur Rahman. We are confident his successor, Tarique Rahman, will achieve similar success."
Rizvi emphasized that the current administration relies on realistic goals rather than populist rhetoric. He noted that Tarique Rahman has refrained from making hollow, deceptive promises, such as providing rice at 10 Taka per kilogram or guaranteeing a government job for every household, which were hallmarks of previous political campaigns.
Highlighting the country's potential, he said, "If a barren land like Singapore can advance so far, our riverine country can certainly achieve food self-sufficiency through proper reforms. To achieve this, everyone must work together in unity."
Addressing the diploma engineers, Rizvi commended their vital role in building the nation's infrastructure and assured them that their profession would not be undervalued. He urged them to work with patriotism, ignoring baseless criticisms.
"The elected government is now in power, and it will properly evaluate everyone who contributes to the country's development and production," he told the professionals.
The council was chaired by Engineer Kabir Hossain and moderated by Engineer Kazi Sakhawat Hossain.
