‘Tarique will be back after democracy returns’

BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said party leader Tarique Rahman will return home after democracy is ‘re-established’ through movement.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 29 August 2014, 04:16 PM
Updated : 29 August 2014, 04:46 PM

Speaking at a discussion in Dhaka on Friday, he said the government was annoyed as Tarique was speaking the truth.

File Photo

Fakhrul called Tarique, BNP Senior Vice-Chairman who has been staying in London for last six years, the ‘future statesman’ of the country.
“I don’t see Tarique Rahmam as the son of Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia. I see him as the future statesman. He holds the dream of the country’s people,” he said.
Addressing Tarique, Fakhrul said: “The people of Bangladesh are not ungrateful. We want to assure you... that you will be brought back home Insha'Allah (God willing) after creating conducive democratic environment through movement.”

Nationalist Research Foundation organised the discussion titled ‘BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman’s thinking about development and the future Bangladesh’ at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity auditorium.

Echoing the statements of Tarique at an event in London, Fakhrul claimed that several people who were now holding positions in the incumbent government were supporting the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.

He questioned: “Who took oath as ministers in the Cabinet of Khandaker Moshtaque after walking on the bloods at Dhanmondi 32 in ’75? HT Imam conducted Moshtaque’s oath-taking ceremony.”

“Whom (the then) did chiefs of different forces including army chief KM Shafiullah and air force chief AK Khandker salute at Bangabhaban that day? Today they are in the government. Ministers are annoyed as Tarique Rahman highlighted these truths,” he added.

The BNP leader criticised the Awami League leaders who accused military dictator Ziaur of being involved in the murders of Bangabandhu and most of his family in 1975.

“They (Awami League leaders) are making the person, who declared the liberation war revolting (against the then government) and leaving his family, villain. They don’t hesitate to call him a killer and agent of Pakistan. This is the character of the Awami League,” he said.

Several other BNP leaders and Dhaka University’s former Vice Chancellor Emajuddin Ahamed also spoke at the discussion.