AL calls him the 'Father of the Nation' but we will not continue that

Says Information Adviser Nahid Islam

FE Team | Published: October 17, 2024 00:23:38

Nahid Islam, information and broadcasting adviser, says the interim government does not consider Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the 'Father of the Nation'.
He made the statement at the Secretariat in response to a question from the media on Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.
Asked why the interim government had decided to withdraw the national days marking Aug 15 - the day of Bangabandhu's assassination - and Mar 7 - the day of his historic speech - in a Facebook post earlier in the day, Nahid said:
"The Awami League was in power as a fascist party," he said. "They remained in power by disenfranchising people, forcibly disappearing them, and through a massacre. As such, whoever they call the Father of the Nation, the national days they declare, that will not continue in a new Bangladesh. We want to build a new Bangladesh. As such, we have to bring a new perspective to history."
"You consider everything done by the Awami League as national… a government that was not voted in has no legitimacy. They did many things during that time. All of it will be restructured and reassessed."
Asked whether he considered Bangabandhu as the Father of the Nation, Nahid said: "Absolutely not."
Questioned whether Bangladesh will have a Father of the Nation, the advisor said: "Many people have contributed to the history of our struggle in this land. Our history did not begin in 1952. We fought in the anti-British struggle in the '47 and '71 struggle, in '90 and '24 too.”