Addressing Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, BNP chairperson's adviser Zainul Abdin Farroque on Tuesday urged him to remain cautious of the "collaborators of Awami League" within his government.
He was speaking at a protest rally organized by the central committee of the Jatiotabadi Nabin Dal at the Maulana Mohammad Akram Khan Hall of the National Press Club, hoping for the recovery of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s health and justice for those involved in enforced disappearances, killings, and abductions during the tenure of the Hasina administration.
Talking about Yunus, Farroque said: "You are a significant figure. You made history by founding Grameen Bank and winning a Nobel Prize for your work with rural communities. Yet Hasina uttered derogatory remarks about your Nobel Prize in parliament. She forced you to appear for court hearings by having you escorted up to the seventh floor. Let her be tried. Let those who built Aynaghor also face justice. However, another group has become very active in disrupting the ongoing process — that is, the Awami League. Some Awami League collaborators are present within your government. Beware of them. Ensure a fair election in Bangladesh without delay."
Farroque further said: "Those who are disabled, hospitalized, lacking blood, and unable to eat — the people whose movement led to your position today — are still suffering. Why is your government still resorting to delays? Under whose influence are you showing animosity towards the BNP? The people want answers. We do not bear hatred. We are not people who engage in envy."
Turning to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, he said: "You imprisoned Khaleda Zia out of envy. You caused Koko’s death abroad. Within 15 days of your return, Ziaur Rahman was killed in Chittagong. During the 1/11 political crisis, you were allowed to go abroad for eye treatment with Moeen U Ahmed’s mercy. Yet you denied Begum Khaleda Zia the opportunity to see a doctor even for a single day. You acted inhumanely."
He added: "Tulip [Siddiq] has claimed she is not a Bangladeshi. Then how, as the prime minister of Bangladesh, did you provide her with a passport and ID card? How did you allocate land for her? Your corruption and nepotism will be inscribed in golden letters in the history of the world."
