JS not place for making personal attack: Rafiqul

Rafiqul Islam Mia

BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Mia today criticised ministers and lawmakers for launching a blistering attack on Tarique Rahman for his recent comments on Bangabandhu.

“Parliament is not the place for making personal attack or assassin character of any individual as the House is the place for discussing national issues,” Rafiqul said at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club.

"But after being elected illegally, the ruling party lawmakers have engaged in assassinating character of BNP leaders using abusive words."  

Mahmudur Rahman Mukti Parishad, a platform formed for demanding release of Mahmudur, acting editor of the Bangla daily Amar Desh, organised the discussion to press home their demand.

Pointing to Tarique's statement, Rafiqul said the ruling party leaders should give reply to his comment but instead of doing so the Awami League leaders are using indecent and humiliating words.

BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday in a meeting at Westminster Hall in London claimed, "Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned to the country on January 10 [of 1972] and became prime minister on January 12. There was no constitution in the country... So should we not say that he was the illegal prime minister?"

"Sheikh Mujib's daughter Sheikh Hasina remains the prime minister forcibly just like her father, who became prime minister in 1972 illegally and forcibly," insisted Tarique, who has been in London, where he went for treatment after securing a parole in corruption cases, since 2008.

Speaking at parliament, AL senior ministers and lawmakers yesterday demanded the government bring Tarique to book immediately for his “seditious” comments on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Tarique deliberately made the remarks to distort history and destabilise the country as part of a conspiracy by Pakistan and its secret service ISI, they said.