One person has held the entire country hostage: Rizvi

Bangladesh is now grappling with the establishment of one-man rule where the opposition was crushed, and the entire nation was left in a state of captivity, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said criticising the government led by Sheikh Hasina, who recently embarked on her fourth consecutive term - the fifth overall - after the Awami League's massive victory on 7 January.

"After bulldozing the opposition, Bangladesh was ushered in a one-man rule through an unprecedented sham election. The entire Bangladesh is now a hostage in her hands," Rizvi also alleged while speaking in a press conference at Nayapaltan BNP central office today (13 January).

Rizvi drew parallels to North Korea, claiming that Sheikh Hasina essentially ran against herself in the election.

"There were some dummies, some nominated individuals, some boat activists, and some hired agents— all seemingly appointed to collect votes for her," he said.

Rizvi further alleged, "Who will pass and who fail in the constituencies were all predetermined by her [Sheikh Hasina]. She also devised the formula to calculate votes from 28% to 41%, despite the negligible voter turnout. All these unequivocally demonstrate that Sheikh Hasina has emerged as the epitome of the world's most oppressive dictatorship."

He criticised the premier saying, "If cheating, dishonesty, and lies are considered an art, then Sheikh Hasina is a master craftsman of that art."

"The latest version of her newly invented Bakshal has been rejected by the entire country and the world. The dummy election without voters, its result, the vote-inflating games, the farce, the drama - were all closely watched by the world, the media, and the observers," he added.

Rizvi raised concerns about the treatment of BNP leaders, including Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, and thousands of party members in prison.

He said, "The oppressive Hasina government has imposed the utmost level of suppression by stripping jailed leaders of their fundamental human rights. Jailed BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and thousands of other activists are living an inhumane life without access to essential medical treatment."

Highlighting international criticism, Rizvi called for the immediate release of Begum Khaleda Zia and the withdrawal of false cases against imprisoned leaders and activists. 

He said, "While international rights groups and the global pro-democracy community, including Bangladesh's democratic opposition, voice their concerns over the government's suppression of dissidents, the ruthless authoritarian regime remains indifferent. Incidents of deaths in custody have surged to the highest levels in weeks. The conditions in government prisons are comparable to the tragic persecution witnessed in Hitler's concentration camps."