BDR revolt- a conspiracy of BNP to topple govt: Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Dr. Hashan Mahmud said, 'The BDR rebellion was created in a conspiracy to overthrow the Awami League government elected by a large number of people's votes, and BNP-Khaleda Zia was involved in it.'
He said this in response to a question during an exchange of views with journalists at the Foreign Minister's official residence on Minto Road in the capital on Monday (February 26) afternoon.
In response to BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's recent comment that 'Awami League was the cause of the BDR rebellion to cling to power', the Minister said, 'I have heard this statement of Mr. Rizvi on television, I have seen it online. This statement seems to me like the delirium of a madman.'
He said that the Awami League formed the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the second time on January 6, 2009 after being elected by a large number of people in the 2008 elections. In the election, we Awami League got 233 seats out of 300 seats and formed the government. BNP got only 30 seats. Why would the government do such a horrible thing after forming the government after receiving such a huge verdict? And the members of the Awami family were mostly killed that day. Even the then IGP's son-in-law was killed.'
The foreign minister questioned and said, 'BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia does not wake up before noon, but why did Khaleda Zia wake up early in the morning and leave the cantonment that day? Her movements were suspicious. There is a record of how many times she spoke in London that day. This proves that the BNP was directly involved in the BDR rebellion. Therefore Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's statement is the delusion of a madman.
Journalists have accused BNP leader Moin Khan Government of massive corruption - when asked for a comment, the minister said, 'When BNP was in power, it became the champion of corruption four times in a row due to their corruption and looting. The FBI came to Bangladesh to testify to the corruption of their acting chairman. BNP leader Moin Khan may have forgotten these things. I don't want to talk about anyone's father, but Moin Khan's father stood in the parliament and said - if necessary, the country will be sold.'
Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, 'On January 7, BNP hoped that the election would not take place. They prayed that people should not go to vote. But 42 percent of people voted. When there was a beautiful election, the Prime Minister was congratulated by the whole world, Joe Biden praised by letter and the European Union also praised and then BNP lost its tune.
BNP is complaining that their workers are being arrested, the minister said, 'Every day about two thousand people are caught for theft, robbery or various crimes. Whether the BNP is telling their workers or not, that is the question now.'
Then a delegation of 13 members of the Agartala Press Club visiting Dhaka came to meet him at the official residence of the Foreign Minister. Agartala Press Club President Jayant Bhattacharya, Secretary Ramakant Dey and Syed Sajjad Ali, Kamal Chowdhury, Ranjan Roy, Abhishek Dey, Surjit Pal, Manish Lodh, Abhishek Debbarma, Pranab Sarkar, Suprabhat Debnath, Devashis Majumder and Suman Debray and President of Bangladesh National Press Club Farida Yasmin, General Secretary Shyamal Dutta, Broadcast Journalist Center President Rezwanul Haque and other met Hasan Mahmud at a tea-party. At this time, the delegation presented some gifts to the Minister.