Country was liberated for not embracing Delhi's slavery, says Zainul Abdin Farroque
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Bangladesh was liberated from Pakistan for not accepting slavery of Delhi, said adviser to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Zainul Abdin Farroque on Friday.
"People of the country started raising voice against expansionism, aggression and killing of democracy because the people of Bangladesh liberated their nation through the War of Liberation in 1971 barefoot. They got liberated from Pakistan for not embracing slavery of Delhi," he said.
Mr Farroque made the comments at a sit-in programme protesting against the killing of Bangladeshi nationals on the frontier by Indian Border Security Force (BSF), organised by Gonotantra Forum in front of the National Press Club in the city.
"If you (India) are our friend and neighbour, then how do incidents of shooting (to Bangladeshi people) happen frequently on the frontier? So the people of Bangladesh started fighting for the restoration of democracy," he said.
"We are not against the people of India. We want to be friend of India. But the friend (India) who exploits us and doesn't give our (Bangladesh) due rights could they become our friend? Never," he said.
"So, by boycotting Indian products, we call upon them (India) please stop killing Bangladeshis on the frontier, withdraw your aggression policy and stop interfering into the internal politics of Bangladesh," he continued.
He said that India was the world's largest democracy but the people of Bangladesh would not accept their (India) move for not having democracy in Bangladesh.
"You (Awami League) got power through hatching conspiracy. You created 1/11. We (BNP) never believe in conspiracy. We want to get power through public vote but not through hatching conspiracy," he said while refuting AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader's comments that BNP wants to go back to power through conspiracy.
President of Gonotantra Forum VP Ibrahim presided over the event.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday that the people of the country will not forget the contribution of national leader Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque.
"The contribution of Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque to realising the legal rights of the country's ordinary people will never be forgotten," he said in a statement sent to the media marking the 62nd death anniversary of AK Fazlul Haque.
Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Haque, who was the chief minister of the then undivided Bengal of British India, died on April 27, 1962,
Born on October 26, 1873 at Saturia village in Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi district, A K Fazlul Haque was a real and tested friend of peasants and hardworking people of Bengal.
"I with great respect remember Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Haque. His contribution to realising the legal rights of the people of the country will never be forgotten," Mr Fakhrul said in the statement.
He said that A K Fazlul Haque would remain in the history as a rare personality for his steadfast role against unjust, irrational and harsh rule imposed by the then colonial power on the people of the country.