Instead, it was her husband, Ziaur Raman, who sought freedom, Khaleda said while exchanging greetings with representatives of the Buddhist community at her Gulshan office on Saturday, the day of Buddha Purnima.
Khaleda also said the Bangabandhu’s Awami League, the party that led the Bengalis in the struggle for independence, was not a pro-Liberation War party at all.
She argued BNP founder Zia ‘fought’ during the War, while the Bangabandhu was ‘relaxing’ in Pakistan.
“Awami League dared not proclaim the independence. Ziaur Rahman proclaimed the independence and the people fought the war while they (Awami League) were at ease crossing the border,” she said.
“The man (Bangabandhu), who was supposed to proclaim the independence, went to Pakistan packing his tobacco pipe. He spent the days relaxing there,” Khaleda said.