Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib on Thursday criticised BNP reserved-seat lawmaker Nilufar Chowdhury Moni over her remarks on the July-August mass uprising during a television talk show.

“We are deeply hurt and angered by your unsolicited remarks on the July-August mass uprising in yesterday’s talk show. We reject your remarks with contempt,” Rakib wrote.

The JCD leader made the remarks in a post on his verified Facebook page.

“We are aware that you are a patriotic politician who upholds the spirit of July. Therefore, we expect that you will show greater restraint and respect in your remarks on the July-August mass uprising,” he added.

Talking to The Daily Star, BNP leader Moni said Rakib misunderstood her remarks.

Moni, BNP’s assistant secretary for self-reliance affairs, made the remarks during a private television talk show on Wednesday, where she described the July uprising as “designed”.

“Though I can't say whether it was a conspiracy,” she said.

Referring to the killing of a student protester during the uprising, Moni said, “There were no police at the front. If it were the police, the firing would have come from the front. It may have been a sniper from the upper floor of a building. Maybe. I still have many questions about July that remain unanswered.”

“Rakib is the president of Chhatra Dal. If he writes something wrong, I cannot say something wrong in response to that,” she added. “He misunderstood my remarks and wrote such a comment on Facebook.”

She further said, “I said that, in the context of Bangladesh, police do not have snipers. Then where did this come from? This is my curiosity. I said this. I wanted the answer to come from the opposition side or the presenter.”

“I do not know who explained what to him [Rakib], and how. My speech has been cut into pieces and released on social media platforms. If anyone listens to my speech in the full programme, there should be no misunderstanding,” the MP said.