Staff Correspondent

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, now a special assistant to interim government Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, and former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumdar of opposing pro-democracy forces.
Addressing journalists at BNP’s Naya Paltan central office on Wednesday, Rizvi said, “We have heard Khoda Baksh has targeted and acted against those sympathetic to the July-August movement. This is deeply concerning and seems part of a larger plan to impose personal preferences.”

Questioning Khoda Baksh’s role during the last 15 and a half years, Rizvi said, “While he was a former IGP, what did he accomplish during his tenure? We were oppressed continuously; this office was raided multiple times. We were arrested many times. We were released just after Sheikh Hasina fell, having been held in remand until the day before.”
Rizvi said, “Does Khoda Baksh embody the spirit of the democratic movement or its consciousness? Certainly not; they make grand statements, trying to present themselves as highly neutral. You were the IGP during the BNP era. What did you achieve? It was under your watch that 1/11 happened, bringing undemocratic forces into power.”
Criticising Ali Imam Majumdar, Rizvi alleged that he appointed deputy commissioners aligned with Awami League’s interests to reorganise the administration.
“Though some adjustments were made later, his initial actions were biased. Over the years, he wrote extensively but never supported the democratic movement or condemned the oppression,” he added.
He said, “The current interim government is a product of the mass movement and the student revolution. Many individuals within this government have endured persecution, not because of political affiliations but for expressing their independent views under the fascist Awami regime.
The chief advisor himself faced persecution during the Awami tenure. His globally acclaimed social business microcredit initiative earned Dr Yunus respect worldwide. However, not everyone has faced similar oppression. Some people, for example, Dr Asif Nazrul, who openly criticised the fascist government, have been subjected to relentless harassment.
Among the student leaders who became advisers, many endured physical torture and other forms of persecution. Yet, some individuals have opportunistically aligned themselves with prevailing circumstances, gauging the political winds and positioning themselves accordingly.
Even over these 15-16 years of struggle, a handful of people in the administration – just one or two – tried sincerely to support the movement from their hearts but remained powerless under Sheikh Hasina’s oppressive watch.”
Rizvi expressed concern that certain advisers in the interim government were deviating from the movement’s core principles.
Rizvi said, “Some steps taken by these advisers have alarmed the nation, creating a climate of uncertainty. Salman F Rahman, for instance, is destabilising the country and orchestrating unrest in the garment sector even from being in the prison, yet no actions are being taken against him.”
He also criticised the silence of advisers like Khoda Baksh and Ali Imam Majumdar during the repression of BNP leaders, particularly Sheikh Hasina’s treatment of Khaleda Zia.
“They remained silent when Khaleda Zia was falsely imprisoned and tortured in an abandoned jail cell. But now they seem to act against pro-democracy forces in a stable government,” Rizvi said.
Rizvi reiterated that the interim government emerged from a mass student movement and is a product of the people’s revolution.
“This government is expected to align with democratic forces. If Awami fascism resurfaces due to the actions of certain individuals within the interim government, no one will be spared,” he warned.
He also urged unity among democratic forces, saying, “Without unity, the country’s independence and sovereignty will be at stake. If Sheikh Hasina and Awami fascism are resurrected, it will undo all the progress made.”
Rizvi called on the interim government to remain vigilant and address the concerns raised by democratic forces.
The press conference was attended by BNP Organizing Secretary Kazi Syedul Alam Babul, Deputy Publicity Secretary Asadul Karim Shahin, and National Executive Committee members Khandaker Abu Ashfaq, Mamun Hasan, Habibur Rashid Habib, Fazlur Rahman Khokon, Rawnaqul Islam Shraban, Abdus Sattar Patwari, and Rashed Iqbal Khan.