Dhaka-Ruling Awami League general secretary and public administration minister Syed Ashraful Islam has lauded BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for not celebrating her birthday ceremony this year.“I heard BNP chief Khaleda Zia has not cut her birthday cake this year. It is a good sign. If she really does so, I welcome her for such decision,” he said this while talking to the reporters after paying tribute to the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreath at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara.
Earlier, on Sunday BNP decided not to celebrate the birthday ceremony of its chief this year as what the party said, the country is now facing problems like flood, militancy and terrorism as well as the most of the party leaders are facing imprisonment.
However, Like in the capital city, thousands of mourners from all strata of life also gathered at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara to pay deep homage to Father of the Nation on the occasion of his 41st anniversary of assassination.
AL general secretary said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the architect of the country. He is universal and above all. The nation has already been united behind him (Bangabandhu) except some stray elements.
Meanwhile in a city programme, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif criticized BNP chief Khaleda Zia for not changing her mentality about the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Khaleda Zia abstained from celebrating her birthday this year not for showing respect to the Bangabandhu, rather she showed another causes behind her decision which is very unfortunate and it proved that her mentality about Bangabandhu has not changed yet,” he said.
He said the defeated forces of 1971 are still active now and indulging in acts of terrorism and militancy in the name of religion, in a bid to destabilize the country.
Hanif said this while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion and doa mahfil organised by Islamic Foundation at the auditorium of Baitul Mukarram marking the National Mourning Day commemorating the 41st anniversary of martyrdom of Bangabandhu.
The Awami League leader said that the assassination of Bangabandhu was an international conspiracy and those evil forces who were against the independence of Bangladesh joined hands with the killers of August 15, 1975.
Bangabandhu struggled throughout his long chequered political life to build a state free from hunger, poverty and exploitation. He embraced repeated prison terms raising his voice for the oppressed and repressed people. He had possessed a sort of divine power within himself through which he was able to unite the whole Bangalee nation (in 1971), he said.
