A conspiracy has been hatched under the leadership of BNP-Jamaat around the month of August, the painful month of Bengalee life, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud.

He said this while addressing a discussion organised by the Department of Film and Publication (DFP) on the occasion of the National Mourning Day at Information Bhaban in the Capital’s Kakrail on Tuesday.

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“Delwar Hossain Sayeedi died of natural causes yesterday. Attempts have been made to create chaos around it since last night. This is part of the sabotage and chaos that BNP and Jamaat have planned across the country throughout the month of August,” he said.

Mentioning that the anti-liberation forces and militant groups become active when the month of August comes, Hasan said, "Bangabandhu was killed on August 15, grenade attack was carried out with the intention of killing Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina on August 21. On August 17, bombs were detonated at 500 places across the country. Bombs were detonated in 63 of the 64 districts” he said.

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Describing August as the sad month for Bengalee people the minister said, “The greatest Bengalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in this month. Rabindranath Tagore died in August while national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam also passed away. In August, Khudiram Bose put a rope around his neck on the gallows.”

“When this month of pain comes, anti-Bengalee, anti-cultural, anti-national forces are active. That's why we all need to keep a watchful eye. We need to take our country forward. And to take the country forward, everyone has to work together,” he said.

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DFP Director General SM Golam Kibria presided over the programme while Director General of Bangladesh Television Jahangir Alam and Chief Information Officer Shahenur Mia addressed the meeting, among others.