DHAKA, Nov 8, 2020 (BSS) – Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport
and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said distorting the history of the
country’s independence is BNP’s democracy as the party failed to take the
people to street or wage movement.
“BNP’s multi-party democracy’s another shape was ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote.
Distorting the history of the country’s independence is the democracy of BNP.
Their multi-party democracy was to impose curfew,” he said in reply to
comments of BNP leaders over November 7, 1975.
Quader was addressing a press conference at his official residence on
parliament premises here.
Quader said: “Though I don’t want to talk about BNP, they force me to do
that. If they make fabricated allegations against the government and the
Awami League, I must reply as the general secretary of the party.”
The minister strongly criticized the BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir’s comment that the country became independent for the second
time on November 7, 1975 through revolution and solidarity.
“It is natural for BNP to consider the day as the independence for second
time, as the dream of a general to grasp the state power was materialized
through the assassination of four national leaders and killings of many
patriot, freedom fighter army officers between November 3 and November 7”, he
added.
He said the defeated forces of independence took their revenge by carrying
out the August 15, 1975 carnage and BNP considered the day as independence
for the first time.
The AL general secretary said if the conspiracy to assassinate Sheikh
Hasina through the grenade attacks on August 21, 2004 became successful, BNP
leaders would say the country became independence for the third time.
The people believe that actually the November 7 is the Freedom Fighters
Killing Day, he added.
About cases against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Quader said Awami
League did not file the cases rather the caretaker government lodged all the
cases against her.
He said BNP leaders often took oath to free Begum Zia but the party
workers do not find the leaders in street after the announcement.
Mentioning that the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes in
non-communal spirit, he said the government took immediate action against any
attack on minority community by the communal forces and it did not spare any
offenders in the past.
He said the government never kept silent about the incidents of attacks on
minority community rather it took prompt measures.
The Hindu community members are performing all their religious rituals
peacefully during the tenure of the AL government, he added.