All BNP leaders would’ve been hanged if Hasina wasn’t ousted: Rizvi
He stated that the people of Bangladesh were deprived of democracy, freedom of speech, and civil liberties for 17 long years
All BNP leaders involved in the anti-government movement would have been hanged if Sheikh Hasina was not ousted through the mass uprising last year, said the party's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today (15 February).
"A ruler who can take the life of a four-year-old child to cling to power would have no hesitation in hanging us," he said while speaking at the biannual conference of Meghna Upazila BNP in Cumilla today (15 February).
He stated that the people of Bangladesh were deprived of democracy, freedom of speech, and civil liberties for 17 long years.
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Rizvi said the BNP has been fighting relentlessly for the past 17 years to restore these fundamental rights, despite enduring severe oppression and persecution under Sheikh Hasina's rule.
"Had Sheikh Hasina not fallen on 5 August, every one of us would have been hanged," he said.
The BNP leader further said, "We secured a free Bangladesh at the cost of the students' lives. If those brave students had not faced the bullets of Hasina's fascist forces, this country would never have witnessed freedom.
"Today, the people of Bangladesh can live with some relief because of their sacrifices."
Addressing party leaders and workers, Rizvi emphasised, "BNP is a democratic party, a party of patriotic citizens. We must uphold democratic practices within our organisation. Under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, we will work towards building a prosperous Bangladesh in the future."
