BNP itself is deranged, not government: Hasan

Making a scathing attack on BNP, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP itself is deranged, not the government, and the party (BNP) has clearly sided with miscreants.

“BNP itself is deranged, not the government. For this, they are talking out of track,” he told reporters replying to a query over a comment of BNP secretary general at the official residence of the minister at Mintu Road in the capital, reports BSS.

Hasan said, “You all know that how they tried to spread confusion over coronavirus vaccine among the commoners. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has told journalists that it will take six months to arrive vaccines. But the vaccines arrive here in the next month.”

He said the government is tackling the Covid-19 pandemic situation with utmost sincerity. And it (government) is working to protect the lives and livelihoods of common people, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

The minister said BNP has always taken side with miscreants. They (BNP) favoured the miscreants as the party belongs to terrorists who set fire on the property of common people.

In the beginning of his speech, Hasan paid rich tribute to Sheikh Jamal, son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on his 68th birthday.

He said Sheikh Jamal was a brave and fearless freedom fighter. “Sheikh Jamal was arrested during the Liberation War along with Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa, our leader Sheikh Hasina, Bangabandhu’s second daughter Sheikh Rehana and youngest son Sheikh Russel.”

The minister said they were detained by the Pakistani army. But, he (Sheikh Jamal) escaped from there with courage and went to India and took part in the Liberation War after taking training.

Terming Sheikh Jamal as a skilled army officer, Hasan said he went to Yugoslavia for military training under the auspices of the Yugoslav army.

Subsequently, he received training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Great Britain and joined the Bangladesh Army as a second lieutenant in the East Bengal Regiment, the minister said.

He said on August 15 in 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s architect, with most of his family members including Sheikh Jamal, was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officers.

Hasan prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul.