BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused India of forcibly pushing Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh, raising questions as to why ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—whom he called “India’s proxy”—is not similarly “pushed back.”
Speaking at an event at BNP’s Nayapaltan office in Dhaka today, Rizvi said, “People who have lived in India for generations are being pushed into Bangladesh just because they speak Bengali and follow Islam. Why is the Bangladesh government silent? Why are these pushbacks being tolerated?”
He claimed that such forced demographic shifts had been resisted by previous governments, adding, “Pushbacks did happen in the past. Why not now? The government should take immediate action.”Taking a sharp dig at both New Delhi and Sheikh Hasina, Rizvi remarked, “She is a Bangladeshi Muslim—why is she not pushed back in? The criminals who fled to India are not being returned either.”
Rizvi alleged that India was more concerned with maintaining its grip over Bangladesh than respecting the will of its people. “India wants a government that serves its interest, regardless of the people’s choice. This is what imperialist, hegemonic states do. Sheikh Hasina was their agent. Now that she is out of power, they are unhappy,” he said.He further warned that foreign influence over Bangladesh’s politics would only worsen the country’s internal crisis. “What we’re seeing is a violation of national sovereignty under the mask of bilateral cooperation.”Rizvi also called upon law enforcement agencies to take action against anyone engaging in violence or wrongdoing under the name of BNP. “No one committing crimes under political banners should be spared. We do not endorse such activities,” he stated.
His comments come amid growing concern over the alleged influx of Bengali Muslims from Assam and other northeastern Indian states, particularly following India’s implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and ongoing identity-based crackdowns.Gonotaar has reached out to relevant authorities for official response but has not received a comment as of filing this report.
