DHAKA, Jan 31, 2022 (BSS) - Sharply criticizing BNP's activities,

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the
political party which sends letters to foreigners for stopping aid to
Bangladesh has no rights to do politics in the country.

   "Currently, BNP has chosen the path of conspiracy as the party
understands that they become isolated from the countrymen. Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir wrote letters for stopping assistance to
Bangladesh. The assistance comes for people, not for the government.
The political party which wrote letters to foreigners to stop aids has
no rights to do politics," he said.

  The minister was addressing a function arranged to distribute
COVID-19 protection materials and winter clothes as special guest at
Awami League office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.

   Relief and Social Welfare sub-committee of Awami League organized
the function and distributed the materials and clothes on behalf of
the Prime Minister.

  AL Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury, MP, addressed the
function as the chief guest with the sub-committee secretary Sujit Roy
Nandi in the chair. AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and
organizing secretary Mirza Azam, MP, spoke as special guests.

  Hasan said BNP organized a meeting yesterday with fugitive accused
Tarique Rahman in the chair. There is an order of the High Court that
no news can be published about Tarique Rahman, he said, adding, "But,
I saw in mass media that the news was published which is the violation
of the directives of the High Court."

   He said their (BNP) political misery has reached such a point that
they made the person as acting president of the party who was
convicted for lifetime. Even, they (BNP) had changed section-7 of
their constitution so that any person convicted due to corruption
could be a leader of BNP, he added.

   He said BNP has accepted the corruption institutionally. "What a
shame!" he added.

    He said five leaders of the AL central committee, many lawmakers

and about 1,500 leaders and activists died due to coronavirus. AL
Rangunia upazila unit president and upazila mayor died due to
COVID-19, he added.

   The minister said no political party has stood beside the
countrymen like Awami League during the pandemic situation. BNP and
their friends were busy in photo sessions and in criticizing the
government, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

  He said Bangladesh's scenario was better than many developed nations
and countries during the pandemic due to time-befitting steps of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina. BNP should seek apology for spreading
propaganda over the issue (COVID-19), he added.

   He said the persons who criticize the government also took booster dose.

   The minister urged the BNP leaders, who didn't take the booster
dose till now, to take the third dose of COVID-19.

   He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has passed the EC law in the
parliament for strengthening the democracy. The civil society and BNP
also claimed for making the act, he added.

   But, now they are opposing when an initiative has been taken and
passed the law, he said, adding that Awami League has brought the act
in the parliament where BNP lawmakers also took part and many
proposals of amendment of them (BNP) were accepted.

   Later, the minister joined a discussion of Bangladesh Human Rights
Council (BHRC) at Jatiya Press Club here.

   BHRC organized the discussion marking its 22nd founding anniversary
with its president Dr Farid Uddin in the chair.

   Hasan termed the brutal assassinations of Bangabandhu and most of
his family members and the suspension of the trial of the killings as
the biggest violation of human rights.

  He said the biggest violation of human rights was held on August 15,
1975 through the killing of the Father of the Nation and the
suspension of the trial of the brutal killing through incorporating
Indemnity Ordinance in the country's Constitution by Ziaur Rahman.

  In the wake of the rise of Bangladesh, he said, the war criminals

who helped the Pakistanis and worked against the freedom-loving
people, were also carried out crimes against humanity.

   Hasan said Ziaur Rahman and his wife Begum Khaleda Zia
rehabilitated the war criminals politically and socially. Even, Ziaur
Rahman killed hundreds of soldiers of armed forces without trial to
consolidate his power, he added.

   Besides, he said, grenade attacks were carried out to kill the then
Opposition Leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August
21 in front of AL office in broad daylight in the regime of Begum
Khaleda Zia.

   Twenty-four persons including Begum Ivy Rahman were killed in the
attack, he said, adding that those are the big incidents of violations
of human rights.

  He said the government under the supervision of Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina has taken steps to establish justice and human rights.
Trial of Bangabandhu killing and August 21 killings have been
completed while the trials of war criminals are going on, Hasan added.

   State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman
addressed the discussion as special guest.

   He said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had
struggled to establish the rights of people and his daughter Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to uphold the rights of
the masses of the country.