The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Tuesday refuted the rejoinder issued by Dr Kamal Hossain & Associates on Monday, saying it tried to suppress the truth and was a heinous act to distort history. The PMO, in a rejoinder signed by PM’s special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, said: “The fact is that then foreign minister Dr Kamal Hossain was in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on a state tour. He came to Germany on August 16. He made a stopover at the house of then ambassador Humayun Rashid Chowdhury in Bonn. At that time, Bangabandhu’s two daughters were present in that house.” The PMO rejoinder mentioned that Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates in its rejoinder said that Dr Kamal Hossain discussed the political asylum of the daughters of Bangabandhu with the Yugoslav government. “But he didn’t mention anything in this regard (political asylum) when he had met Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana in Germany. Bangabandhu was killed on August 15 and Dr Kamal Hossain came to Germany on August 16. When did he talk to the Yugoslav government?” questioned the PMO rejoinder. After repeated requests from the daughters of Bangabandhu, the rejoinder said, Dr Kamal Hossain had neither agreed to hold a press conference, nor protest the killing. “It was his (Dr Kamal) duty to do so as the cabinet member of the then government. He instead looked for a safe haven by avoiding this responsibility… he looked for his own interest bypassing that of the country.” The PMO rejoinder said that late Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, although a public servant, showed his great courage by holding a press conference with Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana. It further mentioned that Dr Kamal Hossain did not try to become active in the next five years in London although UK Awami League president Gaus Sultan, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Mominul Huq Khoka and others repeatedly requested him to do so. “He (Dr Kamal) didn’t protest the Bangabandhu’s killing,” the PMO rejoinder said, adding: “It was rather easy for him to protest the killing and create international opinion as he was living a safer life outside Bangladesh.” In 1979, the rejoinder said, Sheikh Rehana and Dr Kamal Hossain came across in a sweetmeat shop, Ambala, in London, when Rehana requested him to become active in protesting the killing of Bangabandhu, but he avoided that. Sheikh Hasina went to London in 1980 and started working for forming a probe commission. After hectic efforts by Sheikh Rehana, Dr Mohammad Selim (son of Captain Monsur Ali), Gaus Sultan, Mahbubur Rahman and Ataur Rahman Khan had been able to form an enquiry committee comprising then British MPs Thomas Williams and Shaun McBright. “At that time, he (Dr Kamal) chose to be active,” it said. The PMO rejoinder said the role of Dr Kamal Hossain was also controversial when Sheikh Hasina was elected president of Awami League in 1981. “Dr Kamal then visited New Delhi to show his fake loyalty.” It also mentioned that Dr Kamal was nominated Awami League candidate for 1981 presidential election due to the magnanimity of Sheikh Hasina. During the subsequent election campaign, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina held rallies in the country’s remotest corners in favour of Dr Kamal Hossain taking the risk of her life, the rejoinder added. “In return, Dr Kamal Hossain split Awami League, which was built by Bangabandhu, and attacked the party and the daughter of Bangabandhu in indecent words,” the PMO rejoinder said, adding: “It may be possible to cover up the truth for a certain period, but truth eventually triumphs.” – UNB
