Govt playing with ‘fire’, warns BNP

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Sunday warned that the government is playing with 'fire' by hatching a plot to revoke the gallantry title of Ziaur Rahman.

"There had been movements for establishing rights, autonomy, and going to power of Pakistan before March 25, 1971. But it's Ziaur Rahman who had started the armed Liberation War. So, it's not possible in any way to write the history of the Liberation War without him," he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said, "You (govt) are playing with fire by conspiring to repeal his (Zia's) title and your hands will be burnt to ashes. No one has the right to touch his title."

Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal and Muktijuddher Projonmo arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club protesting the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council's (Jamuka's) move to revoke Bir Uttam title conferred on Zia for his contributions to the Liberation War.

Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said the current government has been in power based on lies, immorality, and unfairness. "So, they used to tell lies and indulge in wrongdoings."

He said the government has established an economy of plundering as there's no good governance, justice, and democracy in the country. "You can't show a place where they have done any good job and established fairness. The stinks of their misdeeds have spread not only in Bangladesh but also abroad."

The BNP leader also said the government turned down news channel Al Jazeera's recent report on Bangladesh with political statements instead of tackling it with facts and documents.

He said The Economist magazine also ran a report on Bangladesh, but the government still did not dare to protest it while the Prime Minister's foreign affairs secretary Gowher Rizvi could not give proper answers to any question during an interview by Deutsche Welle.

Meanwhile, the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council at a meeting on February 9 discussed the ways to revoke the gallantry title of Ziaur Rahman for 'violating' the constitution, 'abetting' the self-proclaimed killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in escaping the country.

Bir Uttam, the second-highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh, was conferred on Ziaur Rahman for his contributions to the Liberation War as a sector commander.

Another BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said the government has been keeping BNP busy by creating different issues as part of its strategy to cling to power.

"We have to move ahead with the courage to reach our goals. We should wage a movement to oust the government to restore democracy instead of being worried about anything," he said.

BNP vice-chairman and freedom fighter Hazifuddin Ahmed said a vested quarter is trying to snatch the gallantry title of Ziaur Rahman who was the commander of Z Force which made history on the battlefield of the Liberation War.

"The most bravery titles were conferred on the members of Z Force while the highest number of soldiers sacrificed their lives for the liberation from this force," he said.

Stating that Razakar is the most fateful word in Bangladesh, Hafiz said another word, Jamuka, is on the way to being hated.

(UNB)