AL will occupy streets on Oct 28: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud has said the streets will be occupied by the AL on October 28.

“BNP can declare grand, small, medium rallies… they can also declare walking, running or sit-in programmes. But we don’t feel any pressure for those programmes. Awami League is a party that occupies the streets. And the streets will be under the control of Awami League on October 28 too,” he said.

The minister made the remark while replying to a query from reporters after unveiling the cover of a book named ‘Bangabandhu Samagra’ by writer Saifullah Mahmud Dulal published by Swarabanjan Prakashani at the meeting room of the ministry at the secretariat in Dhaka.

Publisher Dr Shihab Shahriar was present at the function.

The information minister said BNP was formed with those persons who didn’t dream of Bangladesh and were in favour of Pakistan.

Mirza Fakhrul didn’t dream of this Bangladesh, he said, adding BNP and its founder Ziaur Rahman hurt the spirit of Bangabandhu and the Freedom Fighters who fought for Bangladesh.

Replying to another query over the biopic of Bangabandhu, the minister said the film has portrayed how Bangabandhu became Sheikh Mujib from Khoka, how Sheikh Mujib became Bangabandhu and how Bangabandhu became Father of the Nation.

The movie has created a huge response at home and abroad and the expatriates and foreigners are eagerly waiting to see the film, said Dr Hasan.

He said it is normal that BNP is feeling jealous and some leaders of the party are criticizing the movie. Even, a legal notice has been served. But the film portrayed the historical truth, he added.

He said the killers boasted that Ziaur Rahman was involved with Bangabandhu’s murder, and they admitted the responsibility of the murder. For more than a decade, the killers and witnesses in the trial have all disclosed Ziaur Rahman’s involvement, he added.

Earlier in the function, Dr Hasan congratulated the author of the book, saying people can know many things about Bangabandhu from the book.