Hasina was forced to flee due to Army’s support for people: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi stated that the support of the army for the people during the 1971, 1990, and 2024 movements is what made the protests grow stronger and ultimately lead to their final outcome.

He said, "Fascist Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee because the army was on the side of the people. Therefore, this institution must be respected and honored."

He made this statement while addressing an Iftar distribution program organized by the Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB) in front of BNP's central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka, on Sunday (March 23). The event was held for ordinary pedestrians and marginalized people.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "During the July-August student and public movement, Sheikh Hasina fled, and the country was liberated from fascism. Therefore, we must embrace tolerance. To strengthen democracy, we must now fight for free and fair elections, a society based on justice, the rule of law, and ensuring justice for all citizens."

He also called for tolerance during discussions to avoid creating chaos within the state.

"We must remain cautious and ensure that the institutions that fought for democracy are not harmed. We must remember that in 1971, the police and army stood with the people of this country," Rizvi added.

Without mentioning BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman directly, Rizvi said, "An army officer declared independence. The Bangladesh Army has always worked for the people. We saw this during the 1990 movement, and in 2024, we saw the army standing with the people. It was because they were on the side of the people that our movement grew stronger, and fascist Hasina was forced to flee. Therefore, we must respect and honor this institution."