BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday night accused the present government of snatching the rights of people like “Pakistani occupation forces”.
"Those who are now there in power are constantly oppressing people in a bid to establish a one-party governing system by dashing the nation's hopes and aspirations and destroying the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader also said their party has always been a pro-independence force as it was established by the freedom fighters who fought in the battlefield. “BNP is now spearheading a struggle to restore democracy for which people fought and liberated the country in 1971. We believe people’s struggle will be successful through united efforts.”
The programme was organised by BNP’s national committee on celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the country’s independence, marking the day of bringing back the body of Bir Sreshtho” Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman to the country from Pakistan.
Fakhrul alleged that the government is presenting the distorted history of the Liberation War to mislead the new generation and hide facts. “So, the main objective of our party is to highlight the facts and real history by arranging different programmes on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee.”
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He said their party has no intention to belittle anyone as it wants to honour the freedom fighters and the organisers of the Liberation War what they deserve.
The BNP leader bemoaned that those who led the Liberation War and fought in the battlefield putting their lives at risk are now ignored by the current government.
He said the activities of Awami League exhibit that no one took part in the Liberation War except “one who had been imprisoned in a prison of Pakistan”.
Fakhrul said Awami League does not recall the contributions of MAG Osmani, Tajuddin Ahmed and lakhs of freedom fighters to the Liberation War.
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“They’ve started a campaign with all sorts of distorted stories of history to brand martyred President Ziaur Rahman, who declared independence, as a villain."
He urged the BNP leaders and activists to tackle the ruling party’s ‘false’ campaign against Zia by presenting real history before the new generation
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said Matiur Rahman was buried in Pakistan after he had died in a plane crash following his attempt to defect from the Pakistan Air Force to join the Liberation War.
He said their party chairperson Khaleda Zia, during her rule, brought back the mortal remains of Matiur Rahman to Dhaka from Pakistan on June 24, 2006 and buried that at the Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard in Mirpur. “As Khaleda Zia had been able to do it successfully, the people of the country can now pay their respects to the most valiant hero, Matiur Rahman, by visiting the graveyard.”