AL didn't join or witness Liberation War: Khaleda

Amid a fresh controversy over BNP's claim that Ziaur Rahman was the first president of the country, the party's chief Khaleda Zia today claimed that Awami League leaders and activists neither joined the Liberation War nor witnessed it.
"Awami League only speaks about the spirit of the Liberation War. It is very obvious that they would do so because they did not take part in the war or witness it the war. They were not on the war field," Khaleda said.
She was addressing a programme of a section of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.
"The AL men who claim to be freedom fighters were fighters who crossed the border (into India), meaning refugees," the BNP chief claimed.
Urging newsmen and educationists to write the "true history of the country's Liberation War", she said: "The young generation should know the true history."
She also claimed that AL is misleading the countrymen by providing false information in the name of Liberation War.
"Where is the country's freedom? Bangladesh is run from somewhere else," alleged Khaleda, also the leader of 19-party opposition alliance.
Terming the present government "illegal", she said it was now urgent "to remove the government from state power".

Criticising Sheikh Hasina government's record-breaking initiative of singing national anthem, Khaleda said: "Singing the national anthem by spending one hundred crore of taka will be of no use. The event was organised by hiring people by spending money. A Guinness record can't be made like that.”

"We will launch a movement, where we don’t have to spend money to bring people. That mass upsurge will itself create a Guinness record by overthrowing this government," added Khaleda.

Criticising the government for saying against Razakars, Khaleda said anti-liberation war element is available in Hasina’s party.

In this regard, Khaleda mentioned AL leader Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir’s name. “He had served Pakistani government till the end of the war. Why he is free? He should remain in jail on war crimes charges,” said Khaleda.

Without naming HM Ershad, Khaleda said he had come to Bangladesh during the Liberation War but went back to Pakistan again. “But this man was made special adviser [to the prime minister].”

The BNP chief called upon the opposition leader Raushan Ershad to quit from the “illegal parliament” and make apology to people if she wants to save her dignity and honour.

Terming Raushan-led opposition party as a “domestic” one, Khaleda said the ruling party is running the opposition party.