Bangladesh

Fakhrul claims Khaleda Zia is the first woman freedom fighter Khaleda Zia
File photo Khaleda Zia and Mirza Fakhrul Islam

Fakhrul claims Khaleda Zia is the first woman freedom fighter

Bangladesh Live News | @banglalivenews | 26 Mar 2022, 03:16 pm

Own Correspondent, Dhaka, March 26: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has termed the party's chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia as "the first woman freedom fighter" and the BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman as a "child freedom fighter".

The BNP secretary general made the remarks at a press conference at the BNP chairperson's office in Gulshan on Friday (March 25). The press conference was held on behalf of the BNP's 'Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee for Independence'.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "I have always tried to say that if there is any woman freedom fighter in the country, she is Begum Khaleda Zia. She has been imprisoned today in a false case. The lady, who has been fighting for democracy for 40 years, is being held hostage by this government today. The opportunity for her treatment is not being given."

The BNP secretary general said, "Our party leader Tarique Rahman along with his younger brother was also a prisoner with Khaleda Zia at that time. So there is no way to deny the contribution of that little boy in the Liberation War. But this leader is not being allowed to return to the country."

Fakhrul said, "That leader was a housewife. The day after the declaration of Ziaur Rahman's rebellion, as they were moving towards Swat ship, the Pakistani commander Sohrab Hossain, the commander of our eighth Bengal Regiment, was trying to disarm the army. At that time, Khaleda Zia was the first to say that you will not surrender your arms until Ziaur Rahman returns. She had started with that."

Mirza Fakhrul said, "The government has brought the Liberation War to the fore in a number of programmes. The names of the expatriate government, General Osmani, who led the Liberation War that day, have been mentioned many times. How many times have the names of sector commanders been mentioned or how many times has the name of Tajuddin Ahmed been mentioned? You will understand this."

Alleging that there has been a conspiracy to eradicate the BNP, Fakhrul said, "Ethnically, we are in a very dangerous situation. Our goal in the war of independence in 1971, which was to build a democratic state, is the most endangered today. There is no democracy, no human rights in the country."