Fearless politician Ruhul Kabir Rizvi
Prof Dr Saiful Islam
I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed on his appointment as acting secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Many people enter politics, but not everyone becomes a true politician. For some, politics is a ladder to power; for others, it is a path to personal prominence. But in the lives of some, politics becomes a matter of belief, sacrifice and relentless struggle. Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed is one of those rare politicians whose life cannot be separated from politics. He began his journey through politics and remains completely devoted to it.
Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi began his political career through student politics. Even during his student years, his leadership, organisational skills, courage and ability to communicate easily with people became evident. He did not rise to leadership through an unexpected opportunity or a decision imposed from above. He established his position by earning the trust of students and organisational leaders and activists. He holds a special place in the history of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. He was the first person to be elected president of the organisation through a direct vote at its council. His rise through a democratic process, with the direct support and confidence of activists, was an important event in student politics. It demonstrated that his popularity was not limited to personal recognition; the foundation of his leadership was rooted in the trust of grassroots activists. As an elected vice-president of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU), he gained considerable popularity. Even after being shot during the anti-autocracy movement, he did not leave the streets. His continuation of the struggle despite bullet wounds deeply inspired the student community. It was during those turbulent days of student politics that he emerged as a courageous, dedicated and highly popular political figure.
In the long political history of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed’s name will be remembered as a notable example of loyalty, allegiance and courage. His loyalty to the nationalist ideology established by Shaheed President Mr. Ziaur Rahman, the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia and the political direction of BNP Chairman and current Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman remains unquestioned. He is not merely a trusted political associate of the Zia family; he is a leader who has proved his reliability through difficult times. Many people remain close to the leadership during favourable political circumstances. But those who hold on to their beliefs during periods of repression, arrest, lawsuits, imprisonment and uncertainty demonstrate true loyalty. Mr. Rizvi Ahmed has repeatedly passed that difficult test. That is why Begum Khaleda Zia placed great trust in him, and Mr. Tarique Rahman continues to attach importance to him.
After the 2018 election, when political repression by the fascist regime became more severe and the party’s central office was forcibly closed on various occasions, I had the opportunity to remain by his side. Press conferences were also organised from my rented residence, where he delivered his statements. I saw him very closely during that period. I tried to understand the person behind the public political figure. His busyness, anxiety, sense of responsibility and affection for party activists before and after each press conference deeply affected me. Despite the fear of arrest, surveillance and uncertainty all around him, there was no hesitation in his voice. He did not step away from his responsibilities out of concern for his personal safety. Rather, I saw even greater determination in him during every crisis. In conversations with him, I felt that although he was as tough and steadfast publicly, he was equally sensitive at heart. Bad news about fellow activists hurt him; he became concerned when an activist was arrested; and when incidents of disappearance or killing occurred, he felt deep pain, though he did not always express it openly. Beneath the tough armour of political responsibility, he silently carried that pain. He also loves reading. Immersing himself in books after political work is one of his habits.
Whenever opposition leaders or activists have been subjected to enforced disappearance, killing or persecution in the country, Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed has raised his voice in protest. He has stood beside persecuted families, brought their stories to the media and taken every possible political and humanitarian initiative to protect many persecuted activists. No complete record may ever be written of how many people gained new courage or survived danger because of one of his phone calls, statements or news conferences. The history of how many families felt they were not alone because of his compassion may also never appear in newspaper pages. But the prayers of those people remain with him.
There has hardly been any BNP movement or programme in which Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed did not play a direct role. Sometimes he announced the party’s position at news conferences, sometimes he stood at the front of processions, and at other times he organised sudden street marches while evading surveillance by law enforcement agencies. He did not merely announce programmes; he implemented them by putting his own life at risk.
Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed’s public image is that of a determined, sharp-tongued and uncompromising politician. But his heart carries years of countless sorrows, wounds and unspoken pain. The pain of losing fellow activists, the tears of families of disappeared activists, the helplessness of persecuted people and the regret of being unable to give his family the time they deserved—all these burdens have been his. He has suffered, but he has never allowed that pain to make him appear weak publicly. He has hidden his own tears and given courage to others. He has placed his party responsibilities ahead of his personal suffering.
Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed is an exceptional speaker. His speeches reveal not only political conviction but also the depth of his learning. His interest in the Bengali language and literature, sense of history, political philosophy and close reading of contemporary affairs have given his speeches and statements a distinctive quality. His language is sometimes sharp, sometimes satirical and sometimes emotional, but almost always meaningful. Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed is no longer merely a leader of a particular region, organisation or position. His long struggle, sacrifice, courage and close relationship with activists across the country have established him as a national leader. Maintaining harmony and balance among different views, factions and organisational realities is extremely difficult in running a political party. Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed has carried out that responsibility with consistency and balance.
Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed’s life reminds us that the greatest achievement in politics is not power but people’s trust. Positions can disappear and political circumstances can change, but the trust earned during difficult times remains in people’s hearts. He is a trusted associate of the Zia family, a fearless voice of the party, a close figure to grassroots activists and a source of support for persecuted party workers. He is a leader who has tried to heal the wounds of fellow activists while concealing his own wounds. He has given the party’s activists the time that should have been devoted to his family and placed political responsibility above personal safety.
I consider myself fortunate to have seen him closely during difficult political times. From close observation, I realised that behind the uncompromising Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed seen on the public stage lives a deeply humane, wounded and compassionate person. Mr. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed is a fearless soldier on the long and difficult road of nationalist politics. He carries the flag of trust in his hands, the language of protest in his voice and deep affection for countless people in his heart. His journey began with politics, and he remains steadfast within politics to this day.
However, his acceptance has never been confined to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party or its activists. His courageous statements, uncompromising position in favour of democratic rights, simple lifestyle, well-informed speeches and deep sympathy for persecuted people have made him a familiar, accepted and popular political figure at the national level beyond the boundaries of his party. His appointment as acting secretary general from the BNP’s National Standing Committee is therefore not merely a change in organisational responsibility; it is recognition of the party’s confidence in his long political struggle, loyalty, sacrifice and leadership.
The writer is a political analyst and professor at the University of Dhaka.
