BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday described opposition Jamaat-e-Islami’s threat to enforce a “remittance shutdown” in protest against the arrest of its leader, freedom fighter Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman, as an “extreme anti-humanitarian and anti-national conspiracy”.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at an award ceremony organised by Zia Smriti Pathagar at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) auditorium of Dhaka University.

Rizvi said remittances sent by expatriate Bangladeshis were a key driver of the national economy, supporting millions of families and contributing to the country’s development.

“By what authority are you going to enforce a shutdown? You need some legal basis for doing that. People often accuse you of operating secretly, and this raises questions about whether you have some covert activities through which you are planning to enforce this shutdown”, he said.

“Your statement is not only extremely anti-national but also anti-humanitarian and contrary to the interests of the people of the country”, Rizvi added.

Referring to the recent incident at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport involving Jamaat leader Major Akhtaruzzaman, Rizvi said any mismanagement at the airport could have been protested against through lawful and systematic means.

However, assaulting officials and employees on duty was a clear violation of the country’s laws, he said.

Warning Jamaat against backing a former BNP leader who had repeatedly violated party discipline, Rizvi said, “Keep your letterhead paper and pens ready, because very soon he will do something that will force you to write an organisational letter expelling him from the party.”

The programme was chaired by Amanullah Aman, organising secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and convener of Komol-Kuri. Engineer Habibur Rahman, member secretary of Komol-Kuri, conducted the event.

Freedom fighter Abdus Salam, administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation and president of Zia Smriti Pathagar, inaugurated the programme.

Special guests included Baby Nazneen, adviser to the BNP chairman and renowned singer; government party lawmaker Nilofar Chowdhury Moni; BNP cultural affairs secretary Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Ujjal; Prime Minister’s political assistant Rashed Khan; political analyst Rezaul Karim Rony; and Zia Smriti Pathagar General Secretary Zahir Dipti, among others.

According to the organisers, around 7,500 students participated in the essay competition, which focused on the life and contributions of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.

Around 40 winning students were honoured at the ceremony with certificates, books and cash awards.