Vows to Strengthen Security Against ‘Cowardly’ Assassination Attempts Ahead of February Polls: Rizwana Hasan

DHAKA: Government Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today dedicated a significant portion of her Victory Day remarks to the pressing issue of security and political violence, vowing to strengthen measures against what she described as “cowardly” assassination attempts ahead of the February election.

Speaking at the National Memorial, the adviser condemned any attempts to defeat political opponents through violence rather than democratic argument.

To defeat opponents through assassination attempts rather than logic and argument is condemnable and cowardly. There is no heroism in it,” she said, insisting that this culture must not be accepted in the “new Bangladesh.

Hasan revealed that recent attacks indicate the need for heightened security measures, claiming that political opponents are organized and operating covertly.

“The opponents are more organised and are carrying out the attacks from behind. We need to take more measures against such attacks. We are doing so and strengthening security,” she confirmed.

She emphasized that a key challenge for the interim government is to prevent intimidation and fear from spreading among the populace. “An effort is being made to frighten the people. The government’s responsibility is to reassure them so that fear does not spread. We are trying our best to do that,” she noted.

The government’s overriding goal, according to Hasan, is to ensure the integrity of the upcoming polls.

“Our effort is to ensure a fair election where people can vote spontaneously and peacefully. A force is working in society to disrupt this process. We must resist that force while also building resistance,” the adviser stressed.

Earlier in her remarks, Hasan acknowledged the profound significance of the current democratic transition, stating that the need for a mass uprising 54 years after independence proves that the state failed to fully realize the dreams and expectations of 1971.