Tarique needs brain check-up: Law Minister

In a scathing response to BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman’s startling claim that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was an 'illegal' Prime Minister, Law Minister Anisul Huq has said the BNP leader needs a brain check-up.

“His (Tarique) brain should be analysed for any defects,” he said, responding to queries from journalists after a meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Less than two weeks after making the astounding claim that Ziaur Rahman was Bangladesh’s first president, Tarique Rahman, elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, said at a discussion in London that Bangabandhu was an 'illegal' prime minister of Bangladesh.

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“Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the 'first illegal prime minister of Bangladesh’ as he had apparently ignored the declaration of independence made on Apr 10, 1971, when the first government in exile was formed,” he said.

Tarique made the assertion at a function organised by the BNP at the Westminster Hall in London on Tuesday.

Reacting to Tarique’s claim, Anisul Huq said, “His comment should be ignored.”

He said that Tarique’s comment had hurt the sentiment of the country and countrymen.

In response to another query on why the government did not take any step against Tarique for claiming Ziaur Rahman as the first president of the country, the law minister said: “Since the matter is clear like daylight, I think there is no need to give importance to his statement. It’s well settled.”

“Those who are trying to change the history have some ill-motive. Are they making such statements to turn Bangladesh into Pakistan again?” he said.