DHAKA, Dec 5: A prominent leader from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called for a boycott of Indian products in response to the disrespect shown towards the Bangladesh national flag and the attack on the Assistant High Commission in Agartala.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi publicly burned an Indian saree belonging to his wife, a symbolic act that coincided with the party supporters chanting anti-Indian slogans.
“Those who disrespect our flag will face a boycott of their products,” he stated during an event held outside the Jatiya Press Club, as reported by UNB.
This gathering, themed ‘Buy Local Products and Be Blessed’, aimed to promote the use of Bangladeshi goods while encouraging the rejection of Indian imports.
Rizvi urged Bangladeshi women to stop purchasing Indian sarees, soaps, toothpaste, and other Indian products, asserting that Bangladesh is self-sufficient in onion production, emphasizing the need not to rely on imports from India.
Despite Bangladesh’s significant imports of rice, onions, and wheat from India, he encouraged a shift towards local alternatives, saying, “We will wear Tangail sarees, Rajshahi silk sarees, or Comilla khaddar instead.”
While promoting the boycott, the BNP leader also advised against disrespecting the Indian flag, stressing the importance of maintaining dignity.
Rizvi remarked, “They (India) support the cruel Hasina, not the people of Bangladesh. They do not wish for Bangladesh to thrive.”
Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained since the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, replaced by the military-backed interim government of Mohammed Younus. India has repeatedly condemned the rising violence against the Hindu minority in Bangladesh and called for protective measures for their safety.
The situation escalated following the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges, leading to demands for his release from both Hindu communities in Bangladesh and India.
(UNI)
