Hasina cannot return and reclaim power, says Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister's Political Adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said the people of Bangladesh would never accept the return of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to power.

“Those who did not hesitate to shed the blood of their own country's people cannot simply return and reclaim their place with public acceptance,” he said.

Rizvi made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion organised by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at the Teachers-Students Centre auditorium of Dhaka University on Sunday afternoon, marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day.

Referring to Hasina's reported plan to return to Bangladesh in December, Rizvi said people still remembered the children, teenagers and young people who were killed during the July 2024 uprising.

He questioned whether the sacrifices of Abu Sayed, Mugdha and Wasim Akram could be erased, adding that the uprising could not simply be forgotten.

Drawing parallels between the spirit of November 7 and the July 2024 uprising, Rizvi said the accumulated public anger had found expression through the mass uprising. He added that no external power or its local allies could control Bangladesh.

He said November 7 marked not only the beginning of a journey towards multiparty democracy but also the assertion of democratic rights and an independent foreign and domestic policy.

Rizvi said Bangladesh's decisions on friendship, agreements and relations with other countries should be made by its government and people, not dictated by outside forces.

He also alleged that the observance of National Revolution and Solidarity Day had been restricted during Hasina's 17-year rule, although political and social organisations continued to mark the occasion.

Speaking about Chhatra Dal's past struggles at Dhaka University, he said repeated attacks on its leaders and activists had helped inspire a spirit of protest among young people.

Praising BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, Rizvi said he had continued to lead the party despite attacks and threats.

The discussion was chaired by Chhatra Dal central president Rakibul Islam Rakib and moderated by its general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir.

Rakibul said the November 7 events of 1975 had helped protect Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty through the unity of soldiers and civilians. He also said the day had not been properly observed during the previous 17-and-a-half years.

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