Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused Sheikh Hasina and her allies of trying to destabilise Bangladesh using laundered wealth and mafia networks, alleging that the fallen regime is attempting to incite unrest and reclaim influence through orchestrated chaos and covert support within the state machinery.
At a press briefing in the capital’s Nayapaltan central office on Thursday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged, “The money of the country’s people laundered by the fallen dictator is acting as a ‘tonic’ for Sheikh Hasina. She is relying heavily on laundered money to fish in troubled waters by orchestrating various incidents in the country.” He blamed the previous regime for fuelling rising street crimes and unrest, using illicit funds. “This is why criminal activities such as robbery, theft and mugging are on the rise across the country,” he said.
Rizvi warned of the re-emergence of fugitive fascist forces, particularly in Dhaka. “There is a proverb—‘money talks.’ Sheikh Hasina is trying to make full use of this adage. She wants to destabilise Bangladesh with the profits of the wealth she has siphoned off using the power of the mafia economy,” he said.
He questioned how key allies of the ousted regime escaped despite being in state custody after Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year during a mass uprising. He alleged collusion within the administration: “Surely many fascist collaborators are still embedded within the administration, working behind the scenes to protect and support the fascists and killers.”