POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 22, 2022 : Front ranking BNP leader Sheikh Rabiul Alam Robi said the government of Bangladesh is under pressure from the western countries.
Lobbyists appointed abroad by the government is their attempt to eyewash people, claimed the BNP leader.
Robi was in the forefront of the anti-autocracy movement on Dhaka University campus during 1990. The present government has filed 173 cases against him. Despite so much repression, he is still active in the field of politics.
He revealed this in an exclusive interview to this correspondent yesterday afternoon.
In a recent statement, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said that the BNP-Jamaat had appointed anti-Bangladesh lobbyists in the United States.
It is a conspiracy to eyewash the people of Bangladesh to get out of that pressure created from the western countries. BNP is the main opposition political party in Bangladesh. We do not need to hire a lobbyist. The latest situation in Bangladesh has been reported in the world’s major news agencies, claimed Rabi.
“The Awami League has appointed the lobbyists. Because the Awami League has completely taken over the constitutional institutions including human rights violations and deprived the people of their right to vote. Opposition leaders and activists are being harassed with false cases. The news of these has been seen all over the world. It is an absolute fact that Jamaat is anti-independence of Bangladesh, on the other hand BNP is a party that has achieved independence. That is why the Awami League is desperate to take advantage of these opportunities by tying these two parties from time to time. They need to remember that opposing the government is not anti-state in any way.”
Is it because you formed the government with anti-independence Jamaat in the past that Awami League still thinks you are also anti-independence? In response to this question, Sheikh Rabiul Alam Robi said, “Jamaat has not been banned by the Bangladesh government yet. There has been no national consensus so far. But the Awami League government is not banning them. The only reason for this is that Awami League and Jamaat are in the same coin for the sake of staying in power. In 1986, the Awami League gave Jamaat the opportunity to openly engage in politics and elections.
During Hussain Muhammad Ershad period, we boycotted the election. In that election Jamaat-Awami League took part in the election together. Jamaat-Awami League has started the movement from the same platform. So when Jamaat and Hefazat do politics with Awami League, no allegation is made. And as soon as the movement started with BNP, the headache of Awami League started. Ask the Awami League leaders why this is so. Although the Awami League thinks of itself as a pro-independence party, I think they are pro-Jamaat and a party colluding with Pakistan. BNP is a party that gained independence in 1971.
BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman is the architect of our independence. Begum Khaleda Zia is a 71-year-old heroine and still an uncompromising leader. So look at those who are against independence. The main objective of Awami League is to stay in power. Whoever is an ally of Awami League is their friend. And whoever speaks against the suppression of Awami League is their enemy.
The Awami League is no longer an ideological party, it is a fallen party in Bangladesh, a controversial party. The BNP hopes to overcome this crisis in the greater interest of the nation.
” Will you take Jamaat with you to get that passage? To this question, Rabiul Alam said, “We will be united with those who are on the field in solidarity with this demand. There will be no unity with those who will not be on the field. Jamaat is not in the field now so there will be no unity with them”.
Is the BNP on the streets now? We do not see that way. To this question, he said, “There has been a massive movement in 2014-2015. There is still movement. The BNP is on the streets. “Because we have succeeded in the movement, the Awami League has become a controversial party in the eyes of the world.”
In which countries of the world were parties like Awami League and now what is their fate? In response to this question, he said that Hosni Mubarak had fallen in Egypt, Gaddafi had fallen. Other dictators also fell. ”
Most people in Bangladesh think that Awami League is in power with the help of India. India is saying we are in favor of Bangladesh. In this context, he said, “The people of Bangladesh have this idea because India has failed in the role that India needed to play as a neighbor of Bangladesh.” The BNP firmly believes that India is a tested friend of Bangladesh. We could not have defeated Pakistan without the cooperation of Indira Gandhi’s government in 1971.
“Country-to-country relations were intact after independence. There was even the time of Ziaur Rahman. Later, India wanted to see a one-party system of governance in Bangladesh in their interest. So the people of Bangladesh have this idea that India hopes for the survival of the Awami League government. And it is proven to the people of Bangladesh.”
On SAARC, Rabiul Alam Robi said, “Even though China is not a member of SAARC, it has a big impact. But in order to restructure SAARC, there must be good relations between India and Pakistan. As long as there is no good relationship, it will remain a dysfunctional institution. ” Now, though, many SAARC alternative alliances have been formed in the area of regional cooperation, which may be the reason for the obstacles. The government in Bangladesh is also reluctant towards SAARC. Because BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was the founder of SAARC.
Do you have any opinion about NRC? To this question, he said, “I would say this is a discriminatory policy of the BJP government. I think it is an illegal way to oppress the people of the state. Citizens are being subjected to repression and torture through the Citizenship Act. Those for whom it has been done are citizens of India by birth. But India also says it is an internal matter of India?
To this question, he said, India is fine but Bangladesh will be affected. If India wants to push them back as citizens of Bangladesh then Bangladesh will suffer. Bangladesh, like the Rohingyas, is under increasing pressure. So I believe that the NRC is a repressive policy of the BJP government.
About the Seven Sisters, he said, it is the internal matter of India. We do not have any headaches with this. “China has an interest in the issue of Seven Sisters,” he said, adding that China-India relations are matter of dominant.
About BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s illness, the BNP is doing politics. Such statements are often given by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Hasan Mahmud.
In this context, Rabiul Islam Robi said, “The Awami League government is afraid of the acceptability of Begum Khaleda Zia. The medical board formed for her treatment has suggested sending Khaleda Zia abroad for better treatment. She is suffering from liver cirrhosis. Khaleda Zia cannot be treated in Bangladesh. We have repeatedly appealed to the government on behalf of the family on behalf of the party. But Sheikh Hasina’s government has rejected it. I think there is still a chance that Begum Khaleda Zia should be given the opportunity to seek treatment in a developed country. ”
