Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Saturday reiterated that there is no way of freeing BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia through movement or street campaigns, saying victory in legal way could be the only path to release her from jail, reports BSS.
‘BNP is virtually showing disrespect to the law and the court as well by repeatedly raising demand to the government for releasing Begum Zia,’ he said, addressing a meeting at an auditorium of Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka. Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote (BSJ) organized the meeting marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the ‘Mubib Borsho’ with BSJ president and eminent actress Sarah Begum Kabori in the chair.
Awami League Office Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Assistance Barrister Biplob Barua addressed the discussion as the key speaker while BSJ general secretary Arun Sarker Rana conducted it. Hasan said BNP today called for rallies demanding their chief Begum Khaleda Zia’s release. ‘The BNP chief is in prison being convicted in a graft case and only the court can release her. And the government has no jurisdiction to release her, he added.
The minister said ‘The government has no jurisdiction to release her (Khaleda Zia) from prison . . . the matter pertains to the court,’ he added. He said today’s rally goes against the court. ‘I think the court will take proper step,’ said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Referring to the trials of Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif and Indian leader Joyalalita, Hasan said their parties didn’t wage any movement against the decisions of courts. The minister said they (BNP) always created anarchy in the name of movement and assaulted the common people and vandalized vehicles. Even, untoward incidents took place while they (BNP) held rallies for the release of Begum Khaleda Zia, he added.
About BNP leaders’ allegations on the two city corporation polls held recently, he said the polls were held absolutely in a transparent manner. About BNP’s complaints on using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Hasan said EVM is a modern technology which was used in the general election in India and no complaints were raised about it there. Even, EVM was used in the USA in receiving votes, he added. ‘I cannot understand why BNP opposes the use of this modern technology in elections. BNP always opposes modern technology because it has a phobia about any new modern technology,’ he said.
Blasting BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury for his comment on selling EVMs, the minister said they (BNP) have the habit of selling machines. ‘BNP had sold machines of many factories after shutting those down, including Adamjee Jute Mills, during their regime,’ he added.
About another comment of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the minister said many government offices, like autonomous and semi-government offices have deposited their surplus money to scheduled banks and this money would not add to the country’s economy. From now, the organizations will deposit their surplus money into the government sector after keeping their all expenses, he added. But, he said, BNP doesn’t understand this matter and expressed their silly opinions. ‘I want to urge BNP leaders to criticize the government works constructively, not blindly,’ Hasan added.
He said Bangladesh is moving ahead indomitably to fulfill the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under the dynamic leadership of his worthy daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh has already graduated to a middle-income country from the least developing one, said Hasan, adding that the country has gained remarkable progress in many socioeconomic indexes, including human development index, and achieved GDP growth higher than other countries in the last 11 years.
The minister said Bangladesh has surpassed Pakistan in all indexes and even surpassed India in many social indicators. ‘After the independence, the Pakistanis expressed suspicion that Bangladesh would not survive for long but now Bangladesh has surpassed Pakistan in all indicators. It has been possible only for the outstanding leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,’ he added.
Paying rich tributes to Bangabandhu, Hasan said after the Liberation War, Bangabandhu was taking ahead the war-ravaged country towards economic progress. When, the architect of independent Bangladesh was assassinated in 1975, the GDP growth rate was 7.4 per cent, he said.
‘We can exceed the growth rate of 7.4 per cent in 2017-18 fiscal year after four decades of assassination of Bangabandhu. Had the great leader remained alive, Bangladesh would have exceeded Singapore and Malaysian in economic growth many years ago,’ Hasan said. AL leader Advocate Boloram Poddar, BSJ vice president and eminent singer Rafiqul Alam, it’s joint general secretary Tarin Jahan and actress Sahanur, among others, addressed the meeting.