Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir actually insulted the glory of valiant women freedom fighters and sacrifice of all war heroes by calling his party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia a freedom fighter.
The Awami League leader came up with the statement in a statement condemning and protesting Mirza Fakhrul’s comments published and aired in different print and electronic media, reports BSS.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said BNP, which is engaged in their traditional evil politics of falsehood, is continuously spreading propaganda in a purposeful way.
Mentioning that anti-liberation evil forces are key forces of BNP, he said dubbing Khaleda as a female freedom fighter by Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is a cock and bull story.
“I hope BNP leaders will refrain from making such fabricated stories. They should realise that people repeatedly boycotted them due to their involvement in arrogant activities like distortion of the history of the Liberation War,” he said.
He said Mirza Fakhrul and other BNP leaders are now talking about money laundering. The people know who the kingpins of money laundering are and who looted and laundered crores of money by creating Hawa Bhaban.
Bangladesh became world champions in corruption when BNP was in power but they are now talking about money laundering, he said, adding that such acts of BNP are nothing but ‘the devil listening to the Scriptures’.
Quader said Khaleda’s son and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s bribe-taking from German technology institution Siemens Group during the BNP regime has been proved in the testimony of US intelligence service FBI in court.
“At the same time, Tarique’s bribe scandal with Chinese Harbin Company is also known to all,” he added.
“Different international media also published Zia family’s involvement in corruption,” he mentioned.
The minister said during the BNP regime, Khaleda’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko had laundered money to Singapore which was brought back to Bangladesh by the Awami League government.
On one hand BNP leaders talk about money laundering, on the other hand, they sent logistics to fugitive convict Tarique Rahman for leading a lavish life.
Quader said the people know that BNP appointed lobbyists in different countries to save war criminals, defeated forces of the Liberation War and convict BNP leaders and implement the anti-government conspiracy.
The people also know about BNP’s money-making by giving party nominations in different elections and giving posts and positions in different units of the party as well as the laundering of money by BNP leaders, he said.
Turning to the development and progress of the country, the minister said Bangladesh has achieved unprecedented development in every socio-economic index under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The people’s living standard also improved a lot and investment is also increasing gradually as the country’s money stays in the country, he mentioned.
He said as there is economic stability and good governance in the country, inflation remains under control.
Quader said the wheels of the economy also kept rolling in Bangladesh during the global coronavirus pandemic.
“IMF and other international organisations praised Bangladesh’s economic progress and building a strong economic structure,” he added.
He urged the BNP leaders to make constructive comments instead of making incoherent remarks.
