Senior BNP leader Gayeshwar Chnadra Roy has blamed the Awami League for his leader Khaleda Zia’s birthday celebrations on the National Mourning Day.
The BNP chairperson has been celebrating her birthday on Aug 15, the day on which Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was murdered with most of his family, although she has other birth dates on record.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam recently urged Khaleda not to celebrate her birthday on this day.
In reaction, BNP standing committee member Roy said on Thursday snide remarks by Awami League leaders had pushed BNP to observe the chairperson’s birthday with such vigour.
“One minister has said if Khaleda Zia observes her birthday on Aug 15, a bloodbath will ensue.”
“It’s because of such aggressive remarks by ruling party leaders and ministers that BNP activists have been forced to observe Khaleda Zia’s birthday,” he said.
Khaleda Zia was born in 1945, but her date of birth remains a matter of contention. She has always cut her birthday cake in the first hours of Aug 15 at her Gulshan office, accompanied by party leaders.
“Khaleda was born on the day in 1945 when World War II ended. Her parents called her Shanti (peace). Then she was called Putul,” Roy said at the discussion.
He said it was the attacking statements by Awami League leaders that encouraged BNP leaders to attend the party chief’s birthday party.
“Many of us would not attend this event before. But because of their threats, it has become mandatory for us to attend,” Roy said.
‘Aug 15 an accident’
BNP leader Gayeshwar Roy termed the murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family “an accident”.
He held the Awami League responsible for the Aug 15 incidents. “The establishment of one-party system hastened the incident,” he said.
“The nation believes Aug 15 may not have happened if BAKSAL was not established on Jan 25, 1975. No one expected an incident like that,” Roy said.
“People were just looking for a way out from the terrible governance. So after that incident people were not happy, but they had no regrets either.”
“We believe the Awami League is responsible for the death of Sheikh Mujib. The accident of Aug 15 happened because of their attempts to make their power permanent without the support of people,” he added.
After a series of coups and counter-coups following the murder of Mujib, Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman came to power. Later he became president and formed BNP.
“Hasanul Haque Inu and the likes were the ones who created the situation that led to Aug 15. He was the leader of the Ganabahini,” Roy said.
“Inu can never avoid the responsibility for Aug 15. Today he is a democratic minister to Sheikh Hasina. He has been made a minister because he can badmouth Khaleda Zia.”
The BNP leader also criticised Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, who was Bangabandhu’s political secretary at that time, Army chief KM Shafiullah and Maj Gen Khaled Mosharraf for their failure to prevent the incident.
Source: Bd news24
