Coming down heavily on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for inciting controversy on the recently revealed list of Razakars, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said BNP has unmasked its real face siding with the Razakars, reports BSS.
“We have been saying that BNP is the chief patron of the anti-liberation forces and its chairperson was a lackey of Pakistan”, said Hasan who rebutted Mirza Fakhrul’s contention that “Why the list of Razakars after 48 years of independence”. He went on saying that “Today Mirza Fakhrul unmasked themselves (BNP) standing by Razakars by raising question of justification in publishing the Razakars’ list”. The information minister was replying to questions from journalists while inaugurating a colorful procession on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Betar at the Betar’s headquarters in the city’s Agargaon area.
Hasan, also Awami League Publicity and Publication Secretary, said founder of BNP Ziaur Rahman had acted as the spy of Pakistan wearing the mask of a freedom fighter. After revealing the list of the local collaborators of the Pakistani occupation force, the BNP has reacted furiously and their reaction has proved that the BNP is the ‘sanctuary’ of the anti-liberation forces, he added.
On a query on some errors in the list, the information minister said, “There are some mistakes in the list which have been admitted by the Liberation War Affairs Minister himself. There is of course a scope to correct these mistakes”. However, the list will be scrutinized to find out the reasons behind the mistakes and exemplary actions will be taken against the persons responsible, he added.
Speaking about Bangladesh’s progress, Dr Hasan said, “On the 49th year of independence, we are ahead of Pakistan in three indexes– human development, social progress and economic development… the Pakistani prime minister himself laments over Bangladesh’s progress. Here lies the success of our Liberation War and independent Bangladesh”.
About Bangladesh Betar, he said the Betar is playing a pivotal role in moulding the mentality of the nation along with building the state and nation. Betar is maintaining its exceptionality in the age of ‘new media’, the information minister said, adding that the people across the country, including coastal areas, listen to Bangladesh Betar even on cars and through mobiles.
The contributions of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra to the country’s Liberation War will be remembered forever in the history, he said.
Later, the minister joined a discussion which was addressed, among others, by State Minister for Information Dr Murad Hassan, Information Secretary Abdul Malek, Bangladesh Betar Director General Narayan Chandra Shil, Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarkar, Additional Secretary Nurul Kabir and Bangladesh Film Archive Director General Bidhan Chandra Karmokar.