Dhaka: BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said opposition parties have the right to strongly criticise the government both inside and outside Parliament, but they should refrain from using offensive language against the prime minister.
According to United News of Bangladesh,He was speaking at a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the second death anniversary of journalist Ruhul Amin Gazi.
Rizvi said the BNP government is facing opposition from the 11-party alliance, but the government has repeatedly made it clear that opposition parties have the right to hold programmes, speak and strongly criticise it.
He said the two long marches organised by the opposition passed without any obstruction. 'Let them speak. There is no problem with that. But our objection is somewhere else,' he said, adding that democracy does not mean that anyone can say anything in any manner.
'Whatever you say, you should speak the truth,' the BNP leader said.
He said the opposition could make different statements about any crisis, but criticised their remarks suggesting that a decision will have to be made within one or two days on how the Prime Minister will resign. 'When it turns 'tui-tukari' [an informal and disrespectful form of address], that is the culture of fascism,' he said.
Rizvi also referred to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, alleging that he had used similar language while addressing late BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
He said the previous government had promoted a culture in which opposition parties were portrayed as having no right to exist politically or speak, while the media was controlled and such propaganda continued for 17 years.
'Why should that be repeated?' the BNP leader said, adding that they were compelled to respond because there was a repetition of such behaviour in recent political programmes.
He said strong criticism could be made while still using decent words, adding that this is what the BNP is trying to do.
Citing information from intelligence agencies, Rizvi claimed that people are being instructed over the phone from a neighbouring country to collect bombs from specific locations, take photos after exploding those and send the photos to those giving the instructions in exchange for payment.
He underscored the need for unity among political forces on certain issues not only to protect the democratic process but also to prevent a recurrence of what he called fascism. 'If fascism returns, forget democracy; the state itself will not remain,' he said.