Awami League gaining courage to hold rallies through communication with Jamaat: Rashed Khan

PNN News Desk | Jhenaidah

Rashed Khan, the Prime Minister’s Political Assistant, has claimed that leaders and activists of the banned Awami League are gaining the courage to stage protest rallies in various parts of the country, including Gulshan in the capital, because of secret communication with Jamaat-e-Islami.

Rashed Khan made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after virtually joining the inauguration of the government’s three-month dengue prevention programme in Jhenaidah on Saturday (September 12) and later participating in an awareness rally.

He said there could be secret communication between Jamaat-e-Islami and the Awami League. He believes that because of such communication, activists of the banned organization are daring to hold rallies in various places.

Rashed Khan said the Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami had jointly campaigned against the BNP government in 1996. He claimed that this time as well, Jamaat’s role was giving the Awami League the courage to take to the streets and organize programmes.

Criticizing statements by Jamaat leaders suggesting that they have no objection to the Awami League returning to politics, he said Jamaat leaders had stated that they would not object if the Awami League returned to politics. However, he said the people of the country would no longer accept Awami League politics.

Highlighting the BNP’s role in political movements, the Prime Minister’s Political Assistant said the BNP had led movements from the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s through the 2024 mass uprising. Many leaders and activists of the party had sacrificed their lives in these movements. For this reason, he said, the BNP supports keeping all forces involved in the anti-fascist movement united.

However, Rashed Khan accused Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) of creating divisions. He claimed that the two parties had created divisions among the forces that were involved in the anti-fascist movement.

Earlier, Rashed Khan participated in an awareness rally organized by the Jhenaidah district administration to prevent dengue. District BNP President MA Majid, Vice-President Munsi Kamal Azad Panna, Anwarul Islam Badsha, Joint Secretary Abdul Majid Biswas, and leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated and associated organizations were present at the event.