Staff Correspondent

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London has caused ‘heartburn’ among various political parties.

“Many parties couldn’t accept it. Some even expressed resentment. This meeting caused heartburn among many political parties. Brother, why are you so upset? What is your purpose?" Rizvi said while addressing a rally in the Bhawanipur area of Gazipur.

Gazipur district unit BNP organised the programme on the premises of local Muktijoddha College to launch the party’s new membership form distribution and membership renewal campaign.

In an oblique reference to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Rizvi said some political parties are upset over the revised election timeline.

The BNP leader said some political parties claimed the interim government's neutrality had been compromised by the London meeting.

Rizvi questioned when those parties had ever conducted themselves with genuine impartiality and suggested they should first reflect on their own history.

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“They (Jamaat) stood against people in 1971, joined hands with Hasina in the 1986 election… After August 5 (2024), they talked about forgiving the Awami League and deepening ties with India. What kind of politics is this?” he questioned.

The BNP leader said Jamaat’s politics is full of contradictions, while BNP’s politics is positive and constructive.

He observed that there is no more suitable time than the first or second week of February next year for the national election. “There is a tradition of holding national elections during this period,” he said.

On the contrary, Rizvi said, April is not favourable for voting due to extreme heat, storms and the season of Hajj and Qurbani preparations. “Can election campaigns even be conducted during Ramadan?”

He said the first or second week of February will offer a window with good weather, no Ramadan, and no academic exams – making it the ideal time for elections.

Slamming Sheikh Hasina, Rizvi said the deposed former Prime Minister had carried out many propaganda campaigns against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, but she never fled the country nor bowed down to Hasina’s injustice.

He accused Hasina of destroying the Election Commission and stifling people’s democratic rights.

The BNP leader also criticised India for continuing to push its citizens into Bangladesh through various borders. “India is trying to provoke conflict through the incidents of push-in. If this continues, they must face the consequences.”

Meanwhile, traffic movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was disrupted in the afternoon near the Bhawanipur area due to the BNP rally, causing immense suffering to Eid holidaymakers returning to Dhaka