Online Desk  :  BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has retracted his earlier statement condemning the removal of portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Bangabhaban. In a statement issued on November 12, 2024, at 10:30 am, BNP Joint Secretary Muhammad Munir Hossain clarified that Rizvi’s remarks were a result of a “misunderstanding”.

The clarification, titled “Amendment of Rizvi’s Statement,” was sent to the media from BNP’s central office during a free medical camp and blood donation programme. The statement reads, “I was made aware of a media report regarding the removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s portrait from Bangabhaban. Initially, I believed the portrait was taken down from the Durbar Hall, where portraits of all presidents are displayed. However, it turns out that the image was actually moved from another office room in Bangabhaban.”

Rizvi continued, “It was not my intention to cause any misunderstanding. I regret the comments made, and I apologize for any confusion they may have caused.” He further criticized the government’s handling of the matter, stating, “Under Sheikh Hasina’s fascist regime, it has become mandatory to display portraits of Sheikh Mujib. Such authoritarian laws have no real effect. Government offices should not be marked by maladministration.”