Nasiruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the National Citizens Party, said the government has completely failed to ensure the safety of citizens across the country, including in Dhaka and border areas. He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria after visiting the graves of two Bangladeshis killed near the border. Patwari urged the government to act as true nationalists by protecting the country’s borders, warning that those who fail to do so are false nationalists.

He criticized the absence of statements from the home and foreign ministers regarding the recent border killings and accused them of inaction. Patwari also condemned a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) press release that labeled the victims as smugglers, calling it an adoption of Indian narratives. He alleged that the BGB’s strength had been weakened after the Pilkhana incident.

Patwari further stated that if his party came to power, it would dig canals along the border to prevent drug inflow from India. He claimed that drug factories operate near the Indian border and that some members of parliament are involved in the trade, demanding accountability from the home minister.