Liberal Democratic Party president Col (retd) Oli Ahmed said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s own party members do not want him to remain prime minister. He made the remarks on Wednesday as a special guest at an 11-party unity rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital, marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising.

Ahmed said conspirators were positioned around the prime minister and urged him to identify alleged brokers within his party. He said Tarique Rahman faced no threat from Ahmed’s side, but could face danger from “brokers” in his own household. Ahmed said he had repeatedly asked the prime minister over recent months not to create divisions or conditions that could begin his downfall.

Referring to attacks in three places in the country the previous day, Ahmed said they showed that people within the party did not want Tarique Rahman as prime minister. He also cited past political ties involving BNP, Jamaat and Awami League, while saying he had not joined Jamaat. Ahmed said those seeking to protect Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty, build a country free of foreign influence and uphold Islamic values had united.