Please don’t play ‘petty politics’ over Coco mourning, says Khaleda’s aide

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas has urged all sides not to politicise the mourning of her son Arafat Rahman Coco.

Biswas made the appeal in front of her office at Gulshan on Saturday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was turned away from the main gate as the BNP chief had already been ‘put to sleep by her doctors'.

He said the Prime Minister’s Office had been informed about Khaleda’s condition before her motorcade started for Gulshan.

“(Hasina) had expressed her eagerness to visit (Khaleda) to be at the side of the grieving mother. I informed APS of the Prime Minister’s Office Mr Shikhor (Saifuzzaman Shikhor) about her condition when contacted,” he said.

“Many in her office are saying that the honourable prime minister was turned away from the gate and a propaganda is being run,” he said.

“It will be unfortunate if someone interprets the mourning differently,” he added.

Before Hasina's arrival, Shimul Biswas, speaking to reporters, thanked the prime minister for her eagerness to see Khaleda but said it was not possible at that moment since she was sleeping.

After Hasina had failed to visit Khaleda, her Media Affairs Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury told reporters in front of the office, “It's (behaviour of BNP) discourteous, lacking political etiquette…”

He said the BNP leaders could ‘show some manners’ by speaking to Hasina. “But they didn’t even do that.”

Later, Shimul Biswas said, “I urge all quarters not to do dirty, petty politics over the mourning. We don’t want anyone to politicise the mourning.”

Explaining the background of Hasina’s arrival, he claimed her APS Shikhor contacted him at 7:10pm and informed about the eagerness of Hasina to visit the bereaved Khaleda.

“I went to (Khaleda) Zia’s room to speak to her about the matter. But her doctors had already administered sedatives to put her to sleep,” he said.

He also claimed he rushed to the gate with the condolence book when he heard of Hasina's arrival. “But she had already left.”