Street movement cannot free Khaleda: info minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday reiterated that there is no way of freeing BNP chief Khaleda Zia through movements or street campaigns. The only way to get her released from jail would be the legal way, he added.
“BNP is showing disrespect to the law and the court by repeatedly raising the demand to the government for releasing Begum Zia,” he said, addressing a meeting at an auditorium of Jatiya Press Club.
Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote (BSJ) organised the event, marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and “Mujib Borsho”, with BSJ president Sarah Begum Kobori in the chair.
Awami League Office Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Assistance Barrister Biplob Barua addressed the discussion as key speaker while BSJ general secretary Arun Sarker Rana conducted it.
The minister said BNP yesterday called for rallies demanding Khaleda’s release. “The BNP chief is in prison being convicted in a graft case and only the court can release her. The government has no jurisdiction to release her,” he added.
“BNP’s rally goes against the court. I think the court will take proper steps…,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Referring to the trials of Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif and Indian leader Jayalalitha, Hasan said their parties did not wage any movement against the court decisions.
The minister said they [BNP] always created anarchy in the name of movement and assaulted people and vandalised vehicles. Many untoward incidents took place when they held rallies for the release of Khaleda, he added.
About BNP leaders’ allegations on the recent city corporation elections, he said the polls were held in a transparent manner.
Regarding 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 US, 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 in this regard,” he said.
Criticising BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury for his comment on selling EVMs, the minister said BNP has 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 Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s comment, 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 on, the organisations will deposit surplus money into the government sector after keeping all expenses, he added.
But, he said, BNP does not understand this matter and expressed their silly opinions. “I want to urge BNP leaders to criticise the government constructively, not blindly,” Hasan added.
The minister said Bangladesh has already graduated to a middle-income country from the least developing one. 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.
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 percent, he said.
“We can exceed the growth rate of 7.4 percent in 2017-18 fiscal year after four decades of assassination of Bangabandhu. Had the great leader remained alive, Bangladesh would have exceeded Singapore and Malaysia in economic growth many years ago,” Hasan said.
AL leader Advocate Boloram Poddar, BSJ vice president and singer Rafiqul Alam, it’s joint general secretary Tarin Jahan and actress Sahanur also addressed the meeting.