DHAKA, Feb 21, 2022 (BSS) - A distinct incident happened in public
while pacing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar today, creating an
example of tolerance by the ruling Awami League.

  Despite being the ruling party, the Awami League gave the BNP men a
chance to pay its respects at the Shaheed Minar earlier, said an
official press release.

  From dawn onwards, people from all strata started coming to the
central Shaheed Minar under the banner of different political parties
and various organisations.

  AL leaders and activists gathered at their pre-arranged place on the
street in front of the South gate of New Market at 7.15 am in the
morning. Even then people were coming under the banner of different
wings and affiliated bodies of the AL.

  At 7.30 am, when the AL men were preparing to start the Pravat Feri
(morning procession), a procession of the BNP was seen near the New
Market junction.

  If the AL men and its leaders, who were in the forefront, would
start walking, the BNP procession would have to stopped and wait in
lines.

  But, the AL leaders did not do so and they gave the BNP men a chance
to place wreaths at the Shaheed Minar first, on the occasion of the
International Mother Language Day.

  AL presidium members Abdur Rahman and Shajahan Khan, joint general
secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, joint general
secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretary Ahmed Hossain,
publicity secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, relief and social welfare
secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, deputy publicity secretary Aminul Islam,
deputy office secretary Sayem Khan and central member Abdul Awal
Shamim were, among others, present on the occasion.

  Hasan Mahmud said: "We usually gather in the New Market area for
going to the Shaheed Minar. Even today, we were leaving from the New
Market area for the Shaheed Minar."

  At that time, when the BNP procession came, they were given a chance
to go first to the Shaheed Minar, he said, adding that the BNP men,
however, were giving various provocative and controversial slogans.

  "Even after giving the controversial slogans, our leaders and
workers showed enough patience and gave the opportunity to the BNP
leaders and workers to go to the Shaheed Minar with the procession,"
Hasan said.

  He said the AL men had to wait for about 40 minutes for giving the
BNP men the change to pass their procession.