BNP is the first ‘king’s party’ of the country: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said BNP is the first ‘king’s party’ of the country founded by Ziaur Rahman.

“Ziaur Rahman after usurping power formed BNP through distributing leftover power,” he said while replying to a query from reporters at his office at secretariat in Dhaka.

About the recent role of civil society and intellectuals, Dr Hasan said, “We saw different statements of intellectuals with importance. But unfortunately, they are silent when arson attacks are carried out on public transport and public properties. Many people became victims of the arson attacks.”

He said those subversive activities will be stopped when the conscious people, journalists and civil society would raise their voices against them. But it is regrettably true that the so-called civil society didn’t make any statement against the violence of BNP-Jamaat, he added.

Dr Hasan said, “I think that the so-called civil society who makes statements from time to time should be identified as opportunists. I would like to urge the journalists to identify them and unmask them.”

Criticising a comment of BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the minister said most of the BNP leaders from top to bottom are leaving the party. “I’ve a question for BNP leaders, why do they do the politics of BNP? The top leader of the party is not allowed anyone to participate in any election whether it is at the union, upazila or national level.”

Being annoyed with BNP’s subversive politics many leaders and workers would leave the party, Hasan Mahmud said hoping that BNP would refrain from such evil politics.

Replying to another query about poll, Dr Hasan said it is not mentioned in the constitution that an election would not be acceptable if a particular political party does not take part in the election. 

Many elections were held in Bangladesh in the past where many political parties remained absent, he said, adding even a political party led by a big leader didn’t take part in 1970’s election.

The information minister said BNP and other political parties didn’t take part in city corporation polls. But, the countrymen took part in those polls, he said.