BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has called for immediate legal action against individuals involved in assaulting a businessman in Natore, even if they are members of the BNP. He also criticized the filing of a counter-case against the victim and sending him to court, calling it unlawful.
At a press conference held today (Sunday) at the BNP district office in Natore, Rizvi shared the party’s stance after meeting with the victim, Ujjal Kumar Mondal, his family, and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Baraigram Police Station.
Rizvi said the assault incident, where Ujjal Kumar Mondal, a businessman from Banpara in Baraigram, was beaten and handed over to the police, had gone viral on social media. The matter came to the attention of BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman, who instructed Rizvi to visit Natore and investigate the situation. Rizvi first met with the victim and his family to gather information and then spoke with the OC of Baraigram Police Station. During his visit, he urged the police to take immediate legal action against those involved.
In response to a question from journalists, Rizvi stated that he was unaware of the counter-case filed against the victim. If the police have taken such actions, he deemed them unlawful.
Rizvi emphasized that BNP members have the courage to face any situation because they do not engage in wrongdoing. He contrasted this with the ruling Awami League, accusing them of corruption and fascism, which he claimed forced their leader to flee the country.
At the press conference, Rizvi made it clear that the accused individuals would not be spared, even if they are BNP members. He demanded that action be taken before his return to Dhaka. He highlighted that the victim had been a BNP activist during the previous “fascist government’s” tenure. However, Rizvi condemned the act of forcibly abducting the victim from his home and assaulting him, stating that BNP does not condone such actions. The party believes in freedom of expression and takes disciplinary action against any member who violates the law. He mentioned that organizational action had already been taken against 700-800 members, and this process would continue.
Rizvi also addressed the sensitivity of the victim’s identity as a member of a Hindu family, cautioning against potential misuse of the incident for propaganda. He criticized certain media outlets for being prepared to spread misinformation but reiterated that BNP is committed to ensuring its members do not harm others. If anyone misuses BNP’s name for personal gain, strict action will be taken against them.
The incident in question occurred last Wednesday in Kalikapur village of Baraigram upazila. Ujjal Kumar Mondal, a 25-year-old businessman, was beaten in front of his elderly parents and pregnant wife before being handed over to the police. Allegedly, BNP and its affiliate members assaulted him due to his association with a leader of the Awami League-affiliated Swechchhasebak League. A video of the incident went viral on social media on Friday. Following this, the online news outlet Prothom Alo published a report titled “BNP Leaders and Activists Assault Businessman in Natore and Hand Him Over to Police; Video Goes Viral.”
