The reactions came from two senior ruling party leaders on Friday, a day after the London-based politician described Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's political career as a failure.
He also claimed that his father, military ruler Ziaur Rahman, had succeeded in everything he did.
At a programme in London on Wednesday, he said, “Sheikh Mujib's 30-year political life is a failure, whereas Ziaur Rahman succeeded in everything during his short political career of five years.”
"It took minutes for Sheikh Mujib to kill democracy in the country in 1975; he disbanded his own party Awami League. Sheikh Mujib gifted the nation with a famine in 1974. People were insecure even in their homes during his regime," he said.
‘Deliberately crazy’
On Friday, Food Minister Minister Qamrul Islam responded: “Many call him mad, but I say that he is being deliberately crazy.”
“Undisciplined, foolish, black sheep…… many adjectives can be attributed to him,” he said at a programme at the Department of Public Libraries in Dhaka’s Shahbagh.
“Pakistani intelligence agency ISI has deliberately engaged him to make these remarks.”
The ISI sees this lying as the last weapon against the war crimes trial, he said.
He criticised the media for covering Tarique’s statements. “Why are you giving floor to this fugitive criminal? If we prevent you from publishing these statements, you’ll say the government wants to stifle the press. But you have a responsibility too.”
Qamrul was speaking at the programme organised to mark the 23rd founding anniversary of Bangabandhu Shishu-Kishore Mela.
Suranjit’s sympathy
AL Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta sympathised with Tarique saying he was suffering from ‘psychological stress’.
Suranjit said, “Actually Tarique has been staying in London for a long time. He is under psychological stress. It’s a kind of perversion. In politics, it’s called political perversion.”
That’s why he was talking gibberish about Bangabandhu, Suranjit remarked.
The ruling party leader was speaking at a discussion organised at the Institute of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka’s Kakrail on Friday.
Suranjit also urged the leaders of the BNP and its allies to provide Tarique with psychological assistance to overcome this ‘perversion’.
“Please keep his history-bashing mentality on a leash. His remarks are motivated.”
“I will also hope that Tarique will stop making such statements and recover fully to return to healthy political practices.”
Tarique Rahman has been living in the UK since 2008 after securing a bail from the Supreme Court.
He was arrested during the state of emergency in March 2007 on a slew of corruption charges.
