The fire at the Secretariat is making people think, raising questions in public, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He said this at a discussion meeting on 'Bloody Motihar and Rizvi Ahmed', 22 December 1984, organized by the Rajshahi University Nationalist Ex-Student Association at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Thursday (December 26) afternoon.

He said, we have seen before that when there is public protest against a secretary or a minister, the files of the Secretariat disappear; the files in the Secretariat catch fire. The fire that broke out at midnight yesterday, I don't want to say anything funny, many documents were burnt in this fire; one incident raises doubts in another incident. Yesterday I saw in the newspaper that the government has asked for some important documents. After asking for these documents, the fire happened late last night; this is a big question for the people. I want to say this about this, a high-level investigation committee should investigate. Because yesterday, after Hasina and her friends were asked for some documents, many documents in the secretariat were burned and the fire in the secretariat is making people think, it is creating questions in the public mind.

Mentioning that many people have talked about reforms after coming to power, the BNP senior joint secretary general said, we have seen Moinuddin, Fakhruddin before. This reform, that reform will be done. He has done some reforms in the Election Commission; he has also revised the RPO. What did we see through this? Through this, we saw that a vile dictator like Sheikh Hasina has kept the country in hell for 15 years. He has laundered 28 lakh crore taka. Sheikh Hasina, her family and her friends have laundered this money.

We have seen the face of that reform. We have seen the process of that reform. He also mentioned that a monster like Hasina was sitting on us through the process of that reform.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "We cannot say what form this reform will take, what stage it will take us. The form of the Cyber Security Ordinance that we see today does not look good to me. It seems to me that there is some black substance in the pulse. We are worried, we are afraid of various incidents around us. Not for personal fear, but for the security of the state." BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, Chairperson's Adviser Habibur Rahman Habib and others were also present at the discussion meeting.

Stating that there is no division on the basis of religion, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, if mosques do not need to be guarded, then temples will not need to be guarded either. Everyone will coexist peacefully.

At the same time, he demanded an international investigation into the torture, atrocities and looting of houses of minorities since the War of Independence.

The Jamaat Ameer said these things at the Gaibandha district branch workers' conference of Jamaat-e-Islami at Gaibandha Islamia High School grounds on Tuesday (December 24) afternoon.

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, Bangladesh of the future will be equal, without discrimination. Discrimination must be eliminated in all areas, where there will be no religious differences between the majority and the minority. All people will be known as citizens of the country.

He said, there will be no division on the basis of religion. If mosques do not need to be guarded, then temples will not need to be guarded either, everyone will coexist peacefully.

Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, if Sheikh Hasina's government had not jailed me repeatedly, I would not have been able to see the scenes of oppression of the oppressed directly. Liars say there was no such thing as a ‘Aina Ghar’, but I saw the ‘Aina Ghar’ with my own eyes. The last time I was kept there was an ‘Aina Ghar’ in the same building. The people in the ‘Aina Ghar’ would sometimes be taken down and put in the cell next to me. They would look at me helplessly. I would try to read their faces. At the next stage, some of them were sent to jail by sending them to court.

He said, bribery and corruption must be eradicated from offices and courts. Extortion and encroachment must be stopped. For this, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will provide all-out cooperation.

Chaired by district Jamaat Ameer Md. Abdul Karim among others who spoke at the workers' conference were Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim, Central Working Committee members Principal Maulana Momtaz Uddin and Professor Mahbubur Rahman Belal, former District Jamaat Ameer Dr. Abdur Rahim Sarkar, Senior Nayeb Ameer Bir Muktijoddha Abdul Wares Sarkar, District Secretary Zahurul Haque Sarkar, Assistant Secretary Syed Roknuzzaman, and others.

BNP Vice Chairman Abdus Salam Pintu, who was arrested in the August 21 grenade attack case and served almost 17 years in prison, is set to be released.

He is scheduled to be released from Kashimpur Central Jail at 12 noon on Tuesday (December 24).

BNP Media Cell Member Shairul Kabir Khan said that BNP Vice-Chairman Abdus Salam Pintu may be released from Kashimpur Central Jail by 12 noon today.

He also said that after being released from prison, Pintu will go directly to visit the grave of martyred President Ziaur Rahman. From there, he will go to the Nayapaltan BNP central office.

Abdus Salam Pintu was arrested in the August 21 grenade attack case in August 2008. Pintu was recently acquitted in the High Court verdict in this case.

Thakurgaon: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, we have to take to the streets again like on August 5 to establish voting rights, justice and social dignity.

He said these things at a public meeting organized by Sadar Upazila BNP at Shibganj Degree College ground in Thakurgaon on Monday (December 23) afternoon.

The BNP Secretary General said to the people, we want to sleep in peace. Do you really want change, or do you want to return to the Awami League boat. If not, then we have to take to the field again in the same way that everyone took to the streets on August 5. We have to take to the streets to achieve voting rights, for the right to rice, for justice and social dignity.

Stating that all kinds of rights will be ensured if the state comes to power through the people's vote, Mirza Fakhrul said, the rights of people of all religions will be ensured. Fair price for farmers' crops will be ensured, fair treatment of workers will be ensured. We will ensure that no cases are filed without any reason.

Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee for the mass uprising of students and the public after being unable to establish a Baksal in the country. However, accusing them of trying to create communal chaos in the country by spreading a web of conspiracy by going to India, the BNP Secretary General said, Sheikh Hasina is spreading false propaganda even after going to the other side that Hindu brothers are being oppressed in the country. We are very peace-loving people. We have always lived together as Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims. There is no communalism in our country.

Thanking the students and the public, he said, our brothers have fought for 15 years, I want to thank them. They have created another opportunity for us by shedding their blood so that we can create a democratic path in the country. We want to ensure the right of all people to vote here.

Sadar Upazila BNP President Abdul Hamid presided over the meeting, while District BNP President Mirza Faisal Amin and leaders of other party organizations also spoke.