Rizvi made these remarks while addressing a doa mahfil at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka, following the Asr prayers, marking the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.
“We gained our freedom at a tremendous cost, with the sacrifice of many lives,” Rizvi said. “We must protect that freedom from being compromised by narrow interests. The focus should always be on what benefits the people of this country.”
The BNP spokesperson called for a free, fair election where all citizens could participate without fear. “Voters should be able to freely choose their candidates and cast their ballots without any intimidation,” he stressed, describing the formation of a neutral interim government as a crucial task in ensuring this.
The doa mahfil was also attended by BNP leaders including Volunteer Affairs Secretary Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, Religious Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam Jamal, Rangpur Divisional Assistant Organizing Secretary Professor Aminul Islam, and Assistant Publicity Secretary Asadul Karim Shaheen.
The event was moderated by Md. Abdus Sattar Patwari, a member of BNP's National Executive Committee (attached to the office).