Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has commented that Ziaur Rahman and his gang of killers were involvement with both Bangabandhu assassination on August 15 and murders of four national leaders inside Dhaka jail on November 3 in 1975.
He made the comment while replying questions of reporters after paying rich tributes to four national leaders at Banani Graveyard in the city on Friday marking the Jail Killing Day-2023.
Dr Hasan Mahmud, also AL joint general secretary, was among the party’s central leaders to lay wreaths at graves of the four national leaders at Banani graveyard and earlier they also paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at Dhanmondi-32.
Dr Hasan Mahmud said, “BNP never expresses grief on Jail Killing Day. Now the party has turned into people’s opponent due to its nasty terrorist activities during the hartal, which are heinous than those of dacoits and thieves.”
He said that the four national leaders - Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman were political colleagues of Bangabandhu and in death, they also accompanied the great leader as they were also assassinated in the same year following Bangabandhu's brutal assassination along with most of his family members.
Even before being assassinated, they did not betray with the ideals of Bangabandhu and never derailed themselves from their principles by any kinds of persuasion, he added.
The four national leaders showed how to accept martyrdom by staying unwavering towards ideology, said the minister.
BSS adds: Replying to contemporary political issues, Dr Hasan Mahmud said that BNP’s heinous activities on October 28 faced protests across the world and subsequently they again called a three-day siege and carried out attacks on common people and vandalized and torched vehicles.
Thieves and dacoits also make wrongdoings but they don't torch people alive and set fire on their properties.
BNP is no more a political party rather a terrorist one as they are now announcing programme from "cave" on virtual platforms likewise terrorist groups, he said.
The AL joint general secretary said they are determined to resist and eliminate the terrorism and militant activities with the engagement of the people.
About BNP's fresh 48-hour siege programme, he announced that they along with people will build robust resistance against the anarchy.
In politics, it is natural that a party will hold programme, demonstrations and make comments against the ruling party and the government; however, BNP has set itself as more heinous than banned militant outfits as it is out to torch people alive and their vehicles and other properties as well as carry out attacks on journalists.
He also appealed to the people to build strong resistance against those anarchic activities.
Asked about pre-election dialogue, Hasan said election arrangement is not the jurisdiction of the government rather the Election Commission (EC) does it but government plays the role of facilitator and perform only routine duty after announcement of polls schedule.
"If EC calls dialogue, we will join. Apart from that dialogues can be held among political parties but not with any terrorist organization," he said.
