BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday took an apparent swipe at Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing the party of repeatedly trying to "fish in troubled waters," while also launching a scathing attack on the Awami League during a rally marking "Jatrabari Resistance Day."

Speaking at the programme in the capital's Jatrabari, Rizvi said a party that claims to practice politics in the name of religion had opposed Bangladesh's independence despite the country's overwhelming support for the Liberation War.

Referring to Jamaat without naming it directly, he said, "Their politics is about fishing in troubled waters time and again. But after a while, they themselves fall into those troubled waters."

Criticising former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League, Rizvi alleged that Hasina could not return to politics after the bloodshed she had caused.

"Fascism is in their blood. Deception and hypocrisy are their political ideology," he said.

He also alleged that some television presenters and commentators were trying to make Hasina politically relevant again by praising her in talk shows after August 5.

'Foreign forces wielded influence in final days of Uprising'

At the same rally, Gono Odhikar Parishad President and State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque claimed that some student leaders had come under the influence of "foreign forces" during the final five to seven days of the July mass uprising in 2024.

He alleged that some student leaders had even stayed at the residences of individuals associated with foreign embassies.

According to Nur, those influences later sought to shape the interim government's decisions to serve their own interests, leading to political tensions over the election issue and prompting BNP and other political parties to demand an early election.

He also criticised attempts to create what he described as a single political narrative around the July uprising.

"July belongs to students and people from all political backgrounds. It should not be confined to a single group's narrative, just as the Awami League tried to monopolise the narrative of the Liberation War," he said.

Nur further alleged that misreading narratives had been spread on social media ahead of the election to manipulate public opinion and called for identifying those responsible.

Commenting on the interim government's agreement with the United States, he alleged that an unelected administration had signed a deal against the country's interests with the consent of those "controlling forces," while attempts were now being made to shift the blame onto the BNP.

Speaking about the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), Nur described its leaders as political allies but claimed they had become influenced by Jamaat before gaining sufficient political experience, warning that such a course could damage their political future.

He also urged Jamaat-e-Islami to conduct politics openly and refrain from what he termed "secret political activities."

Praising BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Nur said although he had never seen former president Ziaur Rahman in person, he saw reflections of Zia's patriotism and nationalism in Tarique's engagement with ordinary people.

On constitutional reform and implementation of the July Charter, Nur called for parliamentary discussion instead of street agitation, saying all political parties were represented in the constitutional reform committee and that disputes should be resolved through dialogue.

Meanwhile, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib alleged that the Awami League now had "nothing left to do except spread falsehoods on social media."

He said those responsible for past injustices must face justice and vowed that Chhatra Dal activists, local residents and students of Qawmi madrasas in Jatrabari would remain united until that happened.

Rakib also claimed that the movement gained decisive momentum after the observance of "Jatrabari Resistance Day" on July 17 and the subsequent "March for Justice" programme, which he said was conducted under the direct guidance of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

According to him, when Chhatra League activists and law enforcement agencies were carrying out attacks on campuses and opposition activists were being arrested, Tarique Rahman joined Chhatra Dal leaders via Skype and instructed them to coordinate responsibilities to keep the movement going.

The rally was attended by local BNP and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists, local residents and students of Qawmi madrasas.