A treasury bench MP on Wednesday demanded official recognition of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a child freedom fighter, while also calling for similar honours for late BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her late son Arafat Rahman Koko.

The demand was raised by BNP MP Mujibur Rahman from Gazipur-1 during his participation in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech in parliament.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, a valiant Freedom Fighter who has the Bir Bikram gallantry award for his extraordinary contribution to the Liberation War in 1971, was presiding over the session.

In his speech, Mujibur Rahman praised Tarique Rahman's leadership. "I had promised to the people of my constituency that if they gift this seat to me, patriot Tarique Rahman will become the Prime Minister. He will participate in the public meeting at Bhawal Field. The people there are now waiting for the kind arrival of the Prime Minister.”

He said in the 1971 War of Liberation, Begum Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and PM’s brother Arafat Rahman Koko were imprisoned by the Pakistanis.

“If ever there is an opportunity, she (Begum Khaleda Zia) should be recognised as a freedom fighter for her contribution to the war, and our Prime Minister, who was imprisoned for nine months, should be recognised as a child freedom fighter. And we demand that his brother be recognised as a child freedom fighter too,” the ruling party MP said.

He claimed that he was not making this proposal to appease the Prime Minister.