State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Tuesday said the July uprising had demonstrated the patriotism of the new generation, but expressed concern that allegations of corruption later surfaced against members of the government formed after August 5.
She made the allegation while participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech in Parliament.
In response, Opposition Chief Whip and former adviser to the interim government Nahid Islam demanded evidence to support such allegations. “We must be shown evidence of where corruption was committed,” he said.
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Shama Obaed said, "If the President or his speech is illegal, then we have to consider whether the then government is also illegal."
She said, "When we talk about new Bangladesh and the new generation, we do not expect politics to go viral just by posting statuses on Facebook. If we want to work for the country, both the government and the opposition have to play an important role."
Shama Obaed mentioned that the opposition is also an important part of democracy. “If you have to work in the government, you need experience, courage, and intelligence. Because BNP is a political party that does not do politics on Facebook; they do politics by going from street to street.”
She said politics is not done by just using bots, belittling people with statuses, and talking nonsense and going viral. “If Facebook or social media had existed in 1971, we do not know whether the country would have been independent or not.”
The State Minister said the Liberation War is above everything. “I relate to the sentiments of MPs Nahid and Hasnat sitting in front of me; we also want our children to live in a new Bangladesh, where the rule of law will prevail, murders will be tried, and justice will be established. If we remain united without mudslinging, qualitative development will begin from this parliament.”
After Shama Obaed's speech, Nahid Islam took the floor.
He said the MP raised allegations of corruption during the interim government. “I was an adviser to that government. I resigned long before the election. Since this allegation has been made in Parliament, they will have to provide evidence as to where Nahid Islam committed corruption.”
Later, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said the State Minister did not name anyone in her speech.