Zia’s Gallantry Award Government takes move for revenge: BNP

Senior leaders of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday said that the initiative to cancel the gallantry award of freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman was nothing but a political revenge of the ruling Awami League.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who is in Singapore for medical treatment, in a video statement said that the decision to revoke Bir Uttam gallantry award of late president Ziaur Rahman was a stain on the war of independence of the country.

Fakhrul said that the decision of the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council taken on Tuesday to revoke the award of Zia, also founder of the BNP, was entirely a political revenge.

‘Those who took such a decision, they are, I think, not respectful to the war of independence. They are against the independence, they are against the liberation war and they are totally against freedom fighters. I strongly oppose and condemn the decision,’ Fakhrul said.

He said that the JMC made the decision to revoke Zia’s award to hide misdeeds and corruptions of the government and divert the attention of people.

‘Ziaur Rahman not only proclaimed the declaration of the war of independence but also took part in the war staying in the country. The government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman conferred the gallantry award on Ziaur Rahman,’ Fakhrul said.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Moshrraraf Hossain at a press conference at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office also condemned the initiative to revoke Zia’s gallantry award and called on the government to refrain from implementing the decision. 

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at the party’s Naya Paltan office called on the government to refrain from implementing the decision of the JMC.

BNP central leaders Abdus Salam, Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel and Abdus Salam Azad, among others, attended the press conference.

Leaders and activists of the party’s Dhaka city south unit brought out a protest procession starting from the party’s central office opposing the JMC decision.

BNP Dhaka city south president Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi led the procession that ended in the Nightingale crossing at Bajoynagar.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal – JSD president ASM Abdur Rob in a statement on Wednesday condemned and protested at the JMC decision to cancel Zia’s gallantry award, saying that the incident of cancelling gallantry award or medal of those who played unique roles in the liberation war did not glorify it.

 ‘Any decision out of vengeance cannot abolish the “historic fairness”. Judging a past glorious achievement under the perspective of the present in no way ensures justice and it is not accepted morally,’ he said.

‘If the gallantry award given by the state for fearless heroism in the liberation war is revoked for political conflict, it will put a question mark on the war,’ he said.

The BNP-backed Dhaka University teachers’ group, known as ‘White Panel’, also condemned and protested against the JMC decision, New Age correspondent at DU reported.

In a statement, signed by the panel convener Professor Lutfur Rahman, the panel alleged that the decision was part of an ongoing conspiracy that started a decade ago to destroy Zia’s family.

News Courtesy: 

https://www.newagebd.net/article/129784/government-takes-move-for-revenge-bnp