Fascists using black money to foment unrest: Rizvi

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has alleged that defeated fascist forces are conspiring to foment unrest, carry out bomb attacks and commit sabotage in the country using illicit money siphoned abroad and concealed at home during the Awami League regime.

He said the defeated forces were seeking to destabilise the country and derail its progress, urging pro-democracy political parties and the public to remain vigilant against such conspiracies.

Rizvi made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion and award ceremony titled “The Long Anti-Autocracy Movement and the Role of Politicians and Professionals in the July Uprising”, organised by the Bangladesh Janadhikar Party at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in the capital on Tuesday.

Rizvi said the defeated fascist forces had huge amounts of illegal money at their disposal. Although a large portion of the siphoned-off money was taken abroad, some of it remains inside the country. He alleged that attempts are being made to implement a blueprint to destabilize the country by circulating this black money. However, he said, the current government and law enforcement agencies remain alert, and the conspirators' plans are being thwarted one after another.

Criticizing the economic activities of the previous Awami League government, the BNP leader said that every sector of the country, including banking and insurance, had been destroyed during Sheikh Hasina's rule. The amount of defaulted loans in the country currently stands at Tk 607,000 crore. He alleged that individuals close to the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina had, in effect, looted state funds in the name of loans.

Rizvi said the current government was working to rebuild the country despite having to deal with a massive debt burden and a fragile economic situation.