BNP party of freedom fighters, she says
Two days after her eldest son’s assertion, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday also claimed that her late husband Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh and proclaimer of its independence.
“Though the whole world and the country’s people recognise Ziaur Rahman as the proclaimer of Bangladesh, Awami League could never accept it… but they won’t be able to remove the real history, no matter what hard efforts they make and what the court says. The true history will treat Ziaur Rahman as the first president of Bangladesh and proclaimer of its independence,” she said.
Khaleda came up with the claim while addressing a discussion at the Institution of Engineers arranged by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, marking the great Independence Day.
Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, an associate body of BNP, honoured freedom fighters at the programme and gave Khaleda Zia a crest recognising her as a freedom fighter.
Several hundred pro-BNP freedom fighters from across the country attended the programme.
Khaleda also received a citation on behalf of her husband Ziaur Rahman.
In her nearly 43-minute long address, Khaleda narrated the history of the Liberation War from her memories.
She described how Zia had organised the war, his role, and the ordeal she along with her two sons went through and their escaping life during the Liberation War.
Khaleda urged the freedom fighters to write books based on facts of the Liberation War so that Awami League cannot distort the history.
Khaleda said Ziaur Rahman in 1971 had proclaimed the country’s independence when nobody dared to that, which inspired the nation to fight against the Pakistani occupation forces and liberate the country.
Earlier on Tuesday, BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, addressing a party programme in London, claimed that his father Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh.
Khaleda said Awami League fears BNP as it is the party of the proclaimer of the country’s independence and frontline freedom fighters.
The BNP chairperson said, “It’s BNP which is the pro-liberation force, not Awami League. BNP is the party of freedom fighters. How Awami League can be a pro-liberation force which doesn’t believe in democracy, balanced development and unity, and does politics only for themselves.”
Khaleda, however, said she has no hesitation to recognise that Awami League had supported the Liberation War and inspired people for it, though its leaders crossed the border.
The former prime minister said she feels proud to identify herself as the country’s independence proclaimer’s wife, not as the prime minister, and not as the wife of a president.
Accusing the government of trying to enchain the nation by another country, she asked the freedom fighters, “Did you liberate the country from the shackles of Pakistan to be enchained by another country? We must wake up once again and be vocal against the government’s misdeeds and misrule.”
Khaleda alleged that the government ignored the contributions of the country’s freedom fighters by honouring only foreigners. “The way foreign freedom fighters were honoured it gave an impression that the people of Bangladesh did not join the war. Awami League never honoured the country’s freedom fighters. It’s not the right manner to glorify the role of foreigners undermining the role of local freedom fighters in the Liberation War.”
Demanding a fresh election under a non-party government, Khaleda Zia said the country’s situation is worsening day by day. “The country’s people have got furious. So, Awami League should think of calling election under a non-party administration through discussions. Or else, people will force them (govt) to materialise their demand.”
Mentioning that there is no opposition in the current parliament, Khaleda Zia said Roushan Ershad herself claimed that she was forced to join the polls. “We don’t know how many mysteries stories are yet to unveil. All mysteries will be debunked in the future.”
She claimed the January-5 parliamentary elections and the ongoing upazila polls have proved that no fair election is possible under the Awami League government.
Khaleda said Awami League has got unnerved as BNP joined the upazila elections.
Raising allegation of vote rigging in the upazila elections, the former Prime Minister said, “The first phase election was fair by and large. We fared well in it. Our good results also continued in the second phase despite vote rigging. There has been no fair voting since the third phase. The government-backed candidates in connivance with the police and the administration stuffed ballot boxes. One single voter cast 424 votes and thus they snatched election results.”
The BNP chief harshly criticised the government for its growing repressive acts and urged it to stop killing, incidents of forced disappearance, repression and other crimes against humanity. Otherwise, she warned, the ruling party must face trial for these.
Chaired by Muktijoddha Dal president Ishtiaque Aziz Ulfat, LDP president Oli Ahmed, BNP vice chairmen Hafizuddin Ahmed, Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, among others spoke at the programme.
Source: UNBConnect
