CHATTOGRAM, Jan 30, 2020 (BSS) – Information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had initiated merchandising and criminalizing the country’s politics.
“Nowadays, there are many intruders and opportunists in politics and Zia had introduced them (intruders) . . . He (Zia) had set a bazaar (market) of buying and selling politicians and formed his party – BNP,” he told a memorial meeting at LGED Bhaban auditorium here.
The minister said many senior leaders of BNP including Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Rizvi Ahmed were also sold in those bazaars. Previously, those politicians were in other parties and later they joined BNP, he added.
Awami League Chattogram south district unit organized the meeting marking the first death anniversary of its former president, ambassador and lawmaker Nurul Alam Chowdhury.
Former minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain addressed the discussion as the chief guest with AL Chattogram north district unit President MA Salam in the chair.
Chattogram City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, Khadizatul Anwar Sonny, MP, AL leaders Professor Mohammad Moinuddin, Abul Kalam Azad, ATM Pearul Islam, Abdullah Baker, engineer Harunur Rashid and late Nurul Alam Chowdhury’s son Ashibul Shoahg Sakib Chowdhury, among others, addressed the meeting.
General Secretary of the district unit Ataur Rahman conducted the function.
Hasan said there are many intruders in Awami League as the party is in power for three consecutive terms. “Everyone should be alert as they (intruders) couldn’t capture the party . . . We want the party (Awami League) to be free from intruders and opportunists,” he added.
The minister said many politicians have forgotten that the politics is for welfare of people, for social services, for changing the society and for developing the country as well.
He said the country will celebrate its 50 years of independence in the next year. It is really unexpected and it should not be that the anti-liberation forces will do politics after the country’s 50 years of liberation, he added.
“It is not acceptable that the forces do politics though they didn’t want this country and this flag and fought against the country and its people,” said Hasan, also AL joint general secretary.
He said the pro-liberation politicians could be in power and the opposition parties cloud also be pro-liberation minded. And there could be no room for anti-liberation forces, he added.
He said Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in every sectors of society, setting example for other countries.
The minister said Bangladesh could progress more if negative politics was not pursued by the political parties, especially BNP. “BNP criticises everything done by the government, but it should acknowledge the government’s good works and development activities,” he added.
Paying rich tribute to Nurul Alam, the minister said Alam was a grassroots politician. Nurul was one of the politicians who were against the activities of Mostak in the party meeting after August 15, 2975.
Nurul Alam was a younger member of parliament in 1973. Later, he was appointed as ambassador after the Awami League government took charges in 2009, he added.
Hasan said Alam took politics as a vow and he was always devoted to the party and its president. He (Alam) never opposed the decision of the party president, he added.