DHAKA, Oct 22, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the AL is a party of the street and, therefore, the streets will be under control of this party 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 of the street. And the streets will be under control of Awami League on October 28 too," he said.

The minister said this replying to a query of reporters after unwrapping the cover of a book named 'Bangabandhu Samagra' of writer Saifullah Mahmud Dulal published by Swarabanjan Prakashani at the meeting room of the ministry at secretariat here.

Publisher Dr Shihab Shahriar was present in the function.

Criticising a comment of the BNP secretary general, Dr Hasan said, "My question is - did Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir actually dream of this Bangladesh as a few months ago he said that 'Pakistan regime was better'? I don't want to talk about anyone's father. But the reality is that his father (Mirza Fakhrul) was a supporter of Pakistan and it is true like the daylight. In fact, according to the statement of Mirza Fakhrul, he didn't see any dream of Bangladesh".

The information minister said BNP was formed with those persons who didn't dream of Bangladesh and in favour of Pakistan. And Ziaur Rahman made Shah Azizur Rahman as the prime minister who visited the UN as deputy leader of Pakistani representatives during the Liberation War and he told the UN that no genocide is going on in East Pakistan, only Indian mobs are creating chaos and confusion, he added.

It means, Mirza Fakhrul didn't see 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 jealousy 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.