Obaidul Quader has forgotten the truth: Rizvi

Accusing Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader of regularly spreading a 'false' campaign against their party, BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday said the ruling party leader has forgotten to speak the truth.

"Surrounded by police and Rab, Obaidul Quader holds a press conference every day to present absurd and imaginary stories and slanders against BNP," he said while speaking at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

Rizvi also said Quader has been trying to malign the Zia family with his regular "campaign of lies" against them. "He (Quader) has forgotten the truth, from telling lies. When people see him on television, they change the TV channel."

Rizvi, the senior secretary general of BNP, questioned as to why the government conducts propaganda against BNP when it has been ruling the country for over a decade by "controlling all the state machinery and institutions."

He alleged that the government has been trying to suppress people by creating an awful situation through its repressive acts, including enforced disappearances, kidnapping, killing, rape and terror acts.

The BNP leader said although their party chief Khaleda Zia is now staying at her Gulshan house, she is not free at all. "Though the government has said her sentences have been suspended, various restrictions have been imposed on her."

He said the government has kept Khaleda under the house arrest as it fears her popularity. "We demand an immediate complete release of her."

Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy slammed Obaidul Quader for regularly criticising BNP, saying the Awami League General secretary has been uttering dictated words against BNP like a caged bird.

Speaking at a doa mahfil, he said Awami League's political condition is worse than BNP's, but the party now cannot realise it due to the support of the state machinery.

"They're now repressing us using the administration, but they'll be unable to protect themselves if they come under the attack."

He said the current government itself is now at the ICU after being infected with a disease more dangerous than coronavirus.

The BNP leader said the country is also in a very bad shape now due to the current government's 'misrule. "There was a time when many sick people in our country hardly visited a doctor until they were unable to move. They went to a doctor where there's no treatment left for their illness. I think the country is now at that stage."

He urged all political parties and people of all walks of life to get united putting aside previous enmities, to protect the country from 'misrule'.

Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal arranged the programme seeking speedy recovery of party chairperson Khaleda Zia, its Covid-infected standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku.