Their leader is supposedly the top woman freedom fighter: DMP Commissioner

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Saturday made a sarcastic comment on a claim about Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia being a freedom fighter.

“A senior leader of certain a party has started saying that their leader is supposedly the top woman freedom fighter," said DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam. "What could be more ridiculous … She who was forsaken by her husband who asked what she had done at the Pakistan … Now she is is supposedly a top freedom fighter. I should not speak further,” said Md Shafiqul Islam.

DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said this at a programme organised by Police Service Association at Razarbagh Police Auditorium in the capital city. The programme was organised to hold a discussion on Independence Day and National Day, unveiling the cover of Mujib Centenary commemorative book ‘Anaswar Pita’ and prize giving ceremony in a painting competition.

Mentioning that police was the first force to set up resistance during that black night of 25 March 1971 when the liberation war started, the DMP Commissioner said, “A police constable fired the first shot at Rajarbagh. Who prompted him? Yet the leaders of that party say the people were disoriented. Then how did the police at Rajarbagh and around the country understand? Actually, they lie so many times and in such a way that as if that’s the truth. There was no actual necessity of declaring independence formally after Father of the Nation’s 7 March speech. Nothing but the 7 March speech inspired the people.”

The chief of the police’s Special Branch and president of Police Service Association Monirul Islam presided over the programme.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan attended the programme as the chief guest while Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed addressed the programme as special guest.

Besides, Additional IGP (Administration) Mainur Rahman Chowdhury, RAB Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Ops) Krishna Pada Roy and Asaduzzaman, DMP Deputy Commissioner (Gulshan Zone) and General Secretary of Police Service Association spoke at the event.