Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said BNP made false allegations over what happened while placing their floral wreath at Shaheed Minar along with anti-liberation forces and the persons who were against the language.
He made this comment in response to questions from journalists over Mirza Fakhrul's complaint at the meeting room of his ministry at the Secretariat in the capital.
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"It is a false allegation. Last year, we placed wreaths after them (BNP) and it took over three and a half hours. And this year, we stood in silence for 30 seconds after paying tributes and then left. BNP started late when the Shaheed Minar was crowded. No one obstructed them," Hasan Mahmud said.
In fact, "BNP doesn't have the spirit of Amar Ekushey or the Liberation War. They talk about 21st February and the spirit of the Liberation War but they do politics with the anti-liberation forces who tried to do so-called Islamization of the language by introducing Bengali writing in Arabic alphabet and banned Rabindranath's songs in East Bengal," he said.
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Replying to another query over Begum Khaleda Zia, Hasan Mahmud said if any person is convicted for more than two years, he or she cannot take part in the election as per the law of the country. As she was sentenced for more than two years. So, there is no question of her participation in the election, he added.
In addition, the government has given her conditional permission to stay home considering her health and age. As per the condition, she can not do politics, he added.
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Earlier, the minister unveiled covers of five books at the meeting room and congratulated the writers.
The books are 'Bangabandhur Jiban and Shilpa Bhabna' written by Sowmithra Dev, 'Sheikh Hasina ekti Kaljoyee Upakkhyan' and 'Sheikh Rehana ek Dipto Shikha' written by Shamima Sultana, Swapno Loker Nadi and 'HIV-Aids Risk and 'Gender Relation: Women Sex Worker in Bangladesh' written by deputy secretary of the information ministry Dr Sheikh Muslima Moon.