State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam on Tuesday claimed Professor Muhammad Yunus travelled to London in June 2025 to confirm the election date.
“Professor Muhammad Yunus traveled to London to present Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with the "trophy" of the July-August movement and confirm the election date,” he said, while participating in the discussion on the President’s speech in the Parliament.
He asserted that the BNP is the sole custodian of the nation's three major political milestones: 1971, 1990, and the July-August movement.
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"The trophies of these three movements are in our house. No other political party can claim all three," Alam said.
The MP for Bogura-2 argued that while the Awami League mentions 1971 and 1990, they lack the July-August trophy, and opposition parties focusing on the recent uprising cannot claim the legacy of 1971 and 1990.
The State Minister’s remarks sparked a commotion among opposition MPs. Addressing the noise, Alam stated that Dr. Yunus’s trip to London to consult with Tarique Rahman proves who led the student-public movement.
"There is only one captain," Alam said. "The head of the interim government went to London to discuss with that captain and brought the election date, ensuring a free and fair election was held."
Alam also praised the Speaker, freedom fighter Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, noting that the BNP’s credibility is rooted in its founder, President Ziaur Rahman.
He further claimed that while the government benches are filled with freedom fighters, the opposition benches lack them—a statement the Speaker corrected by identifying Gazi Nazrul Islam (Satkhira-3) as a freedom fighter.
Turning to the opposition’s history, Alam reminded Parliament that Begum Khaleda Zia had previously honored opposition members by including them in her 2001 government.
He criticized current opposition leaders for attempting to highlight the July-August movement while allegedly downplaying the significance of 1971 and 1990.
Following the State Minister’s speech, Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman took the floor to refute the claims, labeling them as "untrue information."
"We promised from the first day that this would not be a traditional opposition party. We will cooperate in all just works but remain uncompromising against measures that strip away people's rights," Rahman said.
He demanded that the "untrue information" be expunged from the parliamentary record.
The Speaker assured the House that the statements would be reviewed and any unparliamentary or false information would be removed.