Khaleda a ‘national disgrace’: Joy

Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Advisor Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy has lashed out at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for ‘refusing’ to pay respect to Language Martyrs at the Central Shaheed Minar.

Joy’s Facebook post on Saturday said : " I cannot but note with shame that the leader of the 'other' political party in Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia, has refused to pay her respects to the memory of our martyrs at Shaheed Minar.

“I am still astonished by those who support her and her party. How can you support someone who does not even respect the martyrs of our language movement and indeed our Independence? How can you support someone who partners with Jamaat and their war criminals?”

“How can you support someone who orders women and children to be burned alive? Khaleda Zia is not a national leader. She is a national disgrace.”

Paying tribute to the Language Martyrs, Joy wrote, “On this day, February 21st, I remember the martyrs of our Language Movement. They gave their lives so we could speak our language, Bengali.

“This was the beginning of our eventual movement for Independence. My greetings to all Bengalis on this day.”

Khaleda Zia skipped paying homage to the Language Martyrs at the Central Shaheed Minar this year for the first time since joining politics at the start of 1980s.

BNP claimed her decision was based on security issues and the ongoing blockade.

A number of senior party leaders said on Friday that the chairperson would not be visiting the Central Shaheed Minar due to the ongoing blockade.

Khaleda called the blockade on Jan 5 demanding snap polls under a nonpartisan caretaker body, after she was obstructed by the police to leave her office for a party rally on Jan 5, the first anniversary of the last general election boycotted by the BNP and its allies.

She has not left the office even after removal of the barricade.