DHAKA, Aug 27, 2023 (BSS)- Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the countrymen would resist BNP if they try to foil the next election.

“BNP is giving threat to boycott the polls like the city polls. But the countrymen didn’t boycott that elections and more than 50 percent votes were cast,” he said.

BNP have the rights of boycotting the elections. But people would certainly resist them in iron hand if they try to halt the polls,” Dr Hasan said while addressing a discussion here today.

 Ivy Rahman Parished organized the discussion marking the 19th death anniversary of Awami League former women affairs secretary and late President Md Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman at Jatiya Press Club.

Hasan Mahmud warned that present situation is not the same to 2013 or 2014. The countrymen would not allow anyone to carry out sabotage like 2013, 2014 and 2015, he said.

AL Cultural Affairs Secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil addressed the meeting as special guest while convenor of the Parishad and chairman of the board of directors of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique was in the chair.

Dr Hasan said Khandakar Mushtaq and Ziaur Rahman had carried out the August 15, 1975 carnage while August 21, 2004 grenade attack was happened at the instigation of Tarique Rahman. In fact, BNP pursue the politics of killing and Ziaur Rahman killed hundreds of members of the armed forces to cling to his power, he added.

Ziaur Rahman’s wife Begum Khaleda Zia was in power for ten years. But, she did not take any step for trial of Zia killing, he noted.

The information minister said BNP under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman could not come out of the politics of killings. They killed innocent people in many ways including petrol bombs and putting fire on them. They had burnt about 500 schools and rampantly burnt different modes of transports including launches and trains, he added.

He said the politics of hatred and revenge must be stopped forever for the sake of healthy politics. The politics of confrontation would not end if the BNP and Jamaat, who perpetrated August 15 carnage and August 21 attacks, exist in the politics, he said.

The minister said three senior leaders of BNP are now visiting Singapore. But media report came whether their visit was for treatment or with an aim to hatch conspiracy to come to power, he said.

Dr Hasan said Chhatra Dal put the BNP office in Chattogram under lock and key and it’s uncertain when they would take same decision about BNP Nayapaltan office.

Paying glowing tribute to Ivy Rahman and martyrs who were killed on August 21, 2004 in barbaric grenade attack, the information minister said Awami League has lost a very dedicated and kind leader at her death.

AL leader Advocate Balaram Poddar, AL the US unit president Dr Siddiqur Rahman, Jubo Mohila League president Daizy Sarwar, AL leader MA Karim, Freedom Fighter Akram Hossain, Ivy Rahman Parishad joint convenor Aktharuzzaman Khoka and Muhammad Rokan Uddin Pathan, among others, addressed the meeting.