Ranga offers unconditional apology in parliament for snide Noor Hossain remarks

In the face of intense criticism, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mashiur Rahman Ranga has apologised unreservedly in parliament for his snide remarks about Noor Hossain, who was martyred in a movement for democracy that ousted the party’s military strongman HM Ershad.

"I apologise unconditionally. I take all the blame on my shoulder," he told parliament on Wednesday, a day after MPs slated him.

“I seek forgiveness from them. I hope my colleagues will also forgive me,” Ranga said.

He said he had written to Noor Hossain's family and his mother offering his apology.

“I've made a mistake. I apologised for this and have already made a statement,” he said.

Ranga, also the opposition chief whip of parliament, claimed he had not made any controversial remarks about the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Leader of House Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"I personally think that even if my party returned to power, I couldn’t have been a minister. The honourable prime minister had made me a minister. She had a lot of affection and love for me. I think my relation with her will remain as it was before," he said.

The ruling Awami League made Ranga state minister during the 2014-18 Grand Alliance government.

Ranga called Noor Hossain “a yaba and phensedyl addict”, drugs that were yet to hit Bangladesh before his killing, at a party event on Nov 10.

On Tuesday, some senior leaders, including Tofail Ahmed, Amir Hossain Amu, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Sultan Muhammed Mansur Ahmed, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Mujibul Haque Chunnu flayed Ranga in parliament for his remarks

Hasina was present in parliament when the MPs talked about Ranga’s remarks on Tuesday. Ranga, the MP from the Jatiya Party’s stronghold Rangpur-1, skipped the session.

Tofail told parliament Ranga would not have made such comments about Hasina and the Father of the Nation had the Jatiya Party leader been “mentally sound”.

"I’ve served as the state minister in 2014. I think they made me aware after the way they spoke about me yesterday. I've made a mistake. Please forgive me,” said Ranga.