BNP observed historic 7 March with an ulterior motive: Information minister

Urging the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to seek apology from the countrymen for distorting the history, ruling Awami League joint general secretary and information minister Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said BNP observed the historic 7 March with an ulterior motive, reports state-run news agency BSS.

“BNP should apologise to the people for distorting the history … Please, don’t make hypocrisy any more with the people through observing any historic day with an ill motive to destroy the history,” he told a discussion at Awami League office in city’s Bangabandhu Avenue.

Dhaka city unit of Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad organised the discussion marking the historic 7 March speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasan said, “When BNP declared to observe the 7 March, I hoped that they would observe the day for accepting the history and removal of the stigma that they created distorting the history for long. But, the speeches they (BNP) gave while observing the 7 March was to undermine the gist of the historic speech. In fact, BNP observed the day with an evil purpose.”

The minister said people took to the street in procession to fight for independence and prepared for war with whatever they had after hearing the speech of Bangabandhu on 7 March. But, BNP leaders gave speeches undermining the historic speech, said Hasan.

He urged the BNP leaders not to observe the historic days like that.

The minister said the 7 March speech was recognised as the document of world heritage. But, there were many conspiracies over the speech and even the speech was not played for 21 years after the assassination of Bangabandhu, he added.

About giving credit for reading the announcement of the declaration of independence, Hasan said the late office bearer of Chattogram Awami League, Nurul Haque, had pronounced the proclamation of the independence through mike on 26 March in Chattogram city after the declaration given by Bangabandhu. So, if the credit has to be given for the announcement, then Nurul Haque’s part is much higher than that of Ziaur Rahman, he added.

The information minister noted that the then general secretary of Chattogram Awami League MA Hannan was the first to make the announcement on Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro from Kalurghat on 26 March 1971. Major Zia followed him on the next day (27 March) as Awami League leaders decided to involve an army officer with the declaration, he said.

Hasan urged BNP to accept the truth and not to try to make a school bearer into headmaster.

The Parishad president KM Shahid Ullah chaired the programme.