People saw their role in 1971: Tarique Rahman
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman said that some people or certain groups are often heard saying that different parties have been seen in power at different times, and that this time people should “see” someone else (Jamaat-e-Islami).
The people of this country already saw that ‘someone else’ in 1971—how, in pursuit of their own interests, they killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The BNP acting chairman added, “Recently I have heard some individuals or groups saying in various places, and some even on social media, that we have seen this one, we have seen that one—now see this one. The ones they are telling us to ‘see’ were already seen by the people of the country back in 1971. In 1971, in order to protect their own interests, they killed hundreds of thousands of people—just as the fallen autocratic regime killed thousands of people before fleeing to hold on to power. Those who say, ‘Just give them a chance,’ should remember that the people of this country already saw them in 1971.”
“They did not just kill hundreds of thousands of people; we must also remember how their collaborators even violated the honour of mothers and sisters,” he added.
Tarique Rahman made these remarks as the chief guest while joining virtually an event held on Sunday afternoon at the Krishibid Institute at Khamarbari in the capital’s Farmgate area.
BNP organised the event titled ‘Plan for Nation-Building’ on the occasion of December, the month of victory.
More than a thousand leaders from district-level units of the BNP-affiliated student organisation, Chhatra Dal, from across the country participated.
Without naming any party but clearly referring to Jamaat-e-Islami, the BNP acting chairman said that some individuals of a political party, or many of its members, are going around selling “tickets” of various things and offering “confirmations” for them.
Tarique Rahman said, “Allah is the owner of hell, heaven, and this world—of everything. When someone other than Allah claims authority over matters that only Allah can determine or speak about, from my basic understanding, that amounts to shirk (a sin of sharing Allah’s authority with someone else.) It falls within the category of shirk.”
Addressing the Chhatra Dal leaders present at the programme, Tarique Rahman said they must go door to door and make people understand that those who say such things are committing shirk, and that those who listen to them will also fall into shirk.
Earlier in the morning, the programme was inaugurated by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The event was chaired by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and moderated by another joint secretary general, Habib un Nabi Khan (Sohel).
Also present at the programme were BNP chairperson’s adviser Ismail Zabiullah, Dhaka district BNP general secretary Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Dhaka north city BNP convener Aminul Haque, adviser to the BNP acting chairman Mahdi Amin, BNP media cell convener Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan, among others.