BNP should seek apology before accusing AL: Hasan Mahmud

BSS | Published: August 31, 2019 18:07:01 | Updated: September 07, 2019 17:00:37

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said BNP must seek apology to the people for the killing of thousands of people during their regime before pointing gun at Awami League.

“BNP has no right to talk loud on the issue of killing as they established reign of terror through grenade and petrol bomb attacks and resorting arson attack across the country,” he said.

Addressing a discussion at Jatiya Press Club on Saturday, the information minister opined that the masterminds of August 21 grenade attack including BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be exposed to trial by forming a special tribunal.

Bangladesh Swadhinata Parishad (BSP) organized the discussion marking the National Mourning Day with BSP advisor Zakir Ahmed in the chair. Former minister advocate Quamrul Islam and Shamsul Haque Tuku, MP, AL Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, among others, took part in the discussion.

The information minister said, “Hundreds of people were killed during BNP’s 10-year regime . . . They tried to kill the then opposition leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by grenade attack. Their hands are stained with blood.”

The minister said BNP had begun the politics of killing in Bangladesh and Ziaur Rahman went for indiscriminate killing in the armed force to cling to power.

Pointing out the petrol bomb and arson attacks perpetrated by BNP-Jamaat from 2013 to 2015, the minister said the masterminds who gave the order for carrying out such heinous attacks should be exposed to trial.

Dhaka City AL leaders Akthar Hossain, Baloram Poddar, MA Karim, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote general secretary Arun Sarker Rana, BSP president Zinnat Ali Zinnah and general secretary Shahadat Hossain Toyel, also spoke on the occasion.

The information minister, also the publicity and publication secretary of Awami League, rejected the BNP’s claim that hundreds of people were killed during the present government.

“BNP’s founder Zia killed around 1,600 army officers just after capturing power illegally and thousands of Awami League leaders and workers were killed during the regime of Zia’s wife Begum Khaleda Zia,” he added.

BNP killed around 1,000 people by throwing petrol bombs and they didn’t spare even children, pregnant women, transport drivers and helpers. They indiscriminately torched hundreds of vehicles, establishments and government offices including a power station and copies of holy Quran in the name of movement.

Dr Hasan Mahmud said, killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a national shame. A commission would be constituted to expose the masterminds of the carnage, he said, adding that his (Zia) involvement with the killing of Bangabandhu is clear in all evidences.

Terming BNP a political platform of killers, Advocate Quamrul said BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman usurp to power through killing which continued even after coming to power.

He said like Ziaur Rahman, his wife Khaleda Zia also established the reign of terror through indiscriminate killing of opposition leaders and workers.