Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP and Chief Adviser of Amra BNP Family, said, 'I saw a political party, it surprised me that they were patriotic and the army. Army is patriotic no doubt. Because, their predecessors have fought with their lives to build this Bangladesh, they are the ones who declared independence. I saw that when the people were oppressed, the army took their side. Even the mass uprising of 24, played an active role there. I want to say to that political party, the Islamist political party, what was your role in the 1971s, in which sector did you fight, did you fight under a sector commander, there is no patriot in Bangladesh? Just a political party patriot? People will laugh if you create such confusion. People will give nothing but a smile.'
He said these things while speaking as a special guest at the ceremony of presenting gifts to the family of Youth Asia Cup winner Iqbal Hossain Imon on behalf of BNP Acting Chairman Tarek Rahman at Humayun Rashid Chatter in Sylhet Nagar on Thursday morning.
He said, “Sheikh Hasina, in order to secure her power, to stay in power, 3 million martyrs and 200,000 women were tortured in 1971, Sheikh Hasina has tarnished the freedom gained through this achievement for the second time, just like the Pakistani invaders.” M Elias Ali of Sylhet is not there today because of Sheikh Hasina. Because, he took a stand for the country. He protested by marching to Tipaimukh Dam. People say he has been banished for this reason. Our leader has been arrested, she has been made sick, she had an eye operation before her arrest. The room it is kept in, inside an old room in a 200-year-old building, with sand and smoke flying around. The person who had an eye operation was given that room, so that he became sicker. Still, BNP has never backed down in the struggle to rescue democracy along with the release of the country's leader.
He also said, 'We respect the multidimensional self-sacrifice of the children, children, workers who sacrificed themselves in July-August. As they should be judged, in the same way, those who gave their lives to save democracy in the last 15 years, who have become useless, why should they not be judged. They should also be judged. Those involved in this crime should be prosecuted. Why not?'
Regarding the change in the curriculum of the new textbook, he said, 'We do not disagree with the change in the curriculum of the new textbook. There is Sher Bangla AK Fazlul Haque, oppressed public leader Maulana Bhasani, there is Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy, there is the name of late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, there is no problem. Freedom herald Shahid Zia is mentioned. But from the declaration of independence to the war of liberation, why not keep a chapter here? Ziaur Rahman not only declared independence, but immediately fought against the Pakistanis and led a battle where he killed the Pakistani Colonel Janjua. It also has a history involved. So three, four, five, why not have a chapter on the liberation war? Those who became government-in-exile may also have it. There will be a chapter of liberation war. Thank you for all the work you have done. But why remain incomplete? The liberation war is a big event.
In this context, he further said, 'Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did the independence movement, it prepared the ground for an independence. But, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not talk about any special announcement or special preparations for the war of independence. He does not have that calling. What Awami League said by force, what Awami League said by force, is a different matter. The real history is that Ziaur Rahman declared this war. The war started for 9 months. It should have a chapter. That chapter is not kept.'
Atiqur Rahman Rumon, convenor of 'Amra BNP Parivar', presided over and Sylhet District BNP General Secretary Advocate Emran Ahmad Chowdhury, Metropolitan BNP General Secretary Imdad Hossain Chowdhury and Qatar BNP President Shariful Haque Saju gave a speech as the chief guest at the event. A Z M Zahid Hossain.
BNP Chairperson's Advisor Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Central Organizing Secretary GK Gauch, Sylhet District BNP President Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Amara BNP Family Advisor Ashraf Hossain Bakul gave speeches as special guests. Central Joint Organizing Secretary Kalim Uddin Ahmad Milan and Miftah Siddiqui, National Executive Committee Members Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and M Naser Rahman, Acting President of Sylhet Metropolitan BNP Rezaul Hasan Qais Lodi.
The guests handed over the keys of two battery operated autos to the family of young cricketer Iqbal Hossain Imon in the ceremony.
