Zafrullah advises Rizvi to limit making media comments

Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury has advised the BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi to limit making comments in the media on each and every issue.

Instead the party should concentrate in connecting with people, he added.

Participating in a discussion at the capital on Saturday, Chowdhury said, "He walks around making statements. He makes declarations and leaves it on paper without consulting anyone.”

“I do not have the audacity to advise a leader of such a large party. But I have a suggestion: Mr Rizvi, please do not do press conferences and please do not issue press notes," he said.

He narrated an anecdote to drive home his point that Rizvi was overexposing his appearances in the media.

"Mr Ershad was then in power. He would appear on TV everyday. My young daughter once asked me, 'who is that telecaster who comes everyday?'," he said.

“No no, Brishti, he is our president, Ershad," he remembered having to explain to his daughter.

Claiming that Ershad picked the hint up when he told him the story, Chowdhury said, "He (Ershad) had the wisdom and he did not appear on TV so much after that. But it is unfortunate that the BNP does not have that. They seem to know everything."

Rizvi appears in media with the excuse that the government does not permit holding rallies, Chowdhury observed.

He advised him instead to go to the various wards in Dhaka and "it would benefit the BNP too".

Participating in the discussion organised by 'Democracy and Development Studies', Chowdhury also had bits of advice for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

He called on Khaleda to form an alliance of all anti-government parties.

If that does not happen, the BNP will have to remain an opposition party for a long time, he believes.

He advised Khaleda to recruit another female aide who would go to the leader's Gulshan residence at 8-9 in the morning and arrange for party workers to meet their leader till 1-2pm.

Reminding the BNP that 'about 10,000' of its leaders and workers are languishing in jails, he advised the party leadership to get in touch and enquire about the well-being of their kith and kin.

Observing the poor representation of BNP at the event he wondered, "How many members from the 572-strong committee are here? The party of this condition does not have a very bright future."

He also asked Khaleda to consult the likes of Prof Emajuddin Ahamed, Mahbubullah, Mahfuzullah, and Dilara Chowdhury before speaking out on any issue.

Predicting that an 'India-leaning' stance could never propel BNP to power, he urged its leaders to be vocal about the Kashmir issue and the transit issue.