'BNP fiction betrays frustration'

The BNP is distorting history to fight growing frustration caused by its boycott of the Jan 5 national election, an Awami League (AL) leader has said.

The party’s Publicity Secretary Hasan Mahmud made this observation on Thursday after BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman’s startling claim that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was an illegal prime minister.

Tarique Rahman, elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, had made the assertion at an event in London on Tuesday.
Less than two weeks ago, Tarique had claimed his father Ziaur Rahman was Bangladesh’s first president.

“I think falsifying an established truth amounts to sedition. The BNP is making these ridiculous statements to grab newspaper headlines,” Mahmud said at a press conference at the party chief’s Dhanmondi office.

File Photo

He said Tarique Rahman, living in London, was plotting against history to relieve party leaders and activists of their deepening frustration after having boycotted the Jan 5 election.

Mahmud said the High Court had declared Ziaur Rahman’s regime ‘illegal’. “They (the BNP) are debating over history for no reason. The party is based on a lie. They are talking nonsense following their isolation from mainstream politics.”

The former environment minister said it was only normal that an “illegitimate” party “would distort history”.

He said those who, like BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, believed that Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh, were inclined to discredit the Liberation War as well.

The AL leader said the government was taking steps to bring back Tarique Rahman.