Hasina cannot return without facing justice: Rizvi

“Hasina wants to return to Bangladesh, but who will welcome her? The mother of Abu Sayed, the father of Mugdho, or the relatives of Ahnaf?” he said at a discussion arranged by Zia Parishad at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.

Rizvi alleged that Hasina was seeking a passport and a national identity card while lobbying foreign politicians to ensure that the sentences against her would not be enforced if she returned to Bangladesh.

Questioning what he described as a double standard, he recalled that Hasina's government had repeatedly claimed that the courts and the law operated independently when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in what he described as false cases.

“If the law takes its own course and the courts function independently, why is Sheikh Hasina now seeking assurances from abroad?” he said.

Rizvi accused Hasina of showing no remorse for the deaths of students, children, workers and others during the July 2024 mass uprising.

He alleged that security forces had indiscriminately shot protesters including from helicopters.

Rizvi questioned how Hasina could expect a ceremonial welcome upon her return when the families of those killed during the uprising were still seeking justice.

The BNP leader said Awami League activists were carrying out sporadic crude bomb explosions in different parts of the country to create an atmosphere of unrest .

Describing November 7 as a symbol of people's resistance against authoritarianism and oppression, Rizvi said its spirit had inspired democratic movements, including the 1990 anti-Ershad movement and the July 2024 mass uprising.

Rizvi called on people to remain vigilant against any attempt to restore authoritarian rule in the country, reports UNB.