Dhaka — Rumeen Farhana of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has said targeting a weakened political rival is “an act of cowardice,” addressing criticism that she has taken a soft stance toward the Awami League following its exit from power.
In a video interview recently circulated on social media, the BNP’s joint international affairs secretary and former member of parliament was asked why she appeared “soft” on the Awami League.
Responding to the question, Farhana said, “When the sword falls from my opponent’s hand, it becomes my moral duty to offer protection. I cannot strike them with my own sword. That is not bravery; that is cowardice.”
She added that ensuring the political and legal rights of the Awami League in the current context would demonstrate how the present administration differs from its predecessor. “If we, or this government, can protect all the rights of the Awami League now, that is where the real difference will be,” she said.
Her remarks come after former prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, ending the party’s more than 15 years in power. Following the political transition, many party leaders reportedly went into hiding, and incidents of attacks on party offices and activists were reported in several areas.
An interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus subsequently assumed office.
In the evolving political landscape, BNP leaders have called for restraint and an end to retaliatory politics. Acting party chairman Tarique Rahman has instructed party activists not to take the law into their own hands.
Political observers say that opposition parties had long accused the previous Awami League government of repression and human rights violations. Farhana’s comments underscore a call to uphold the rule of law and avoid repeating past practices in what she described as a new political chapter for Bangladesh.
