BNP committed misdeeds, rape under party platform, says Hasan

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 10 (BSS): Sharply criticising BNP leaders for their remarks on recent rape incidents, Information Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said that when BNP was in state power, they did all these misdeeds under the party platform.

"None, from an eight-year-old child to a pregnant woman or a sixty-year-old woman, escaped from the onslaught of the BNP. It is ridiculous when they talk about torture on women who have been gang-raped in the past. So the statement of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is ridiculous," he added.

He said that when Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke, he forgot what they did when they were in state power, so they could utter such unbridled talk.

"Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina-led government has given exemplary punishment for such incidents by judging what happened in the past. Still she is determined to give exemplary punishment for what has happened today," Hasan added.

He said this when journalists drew his attention about the comment of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakrul after inauguration of a day-long training workshop on "Annual Performance Agreement (APA)", organised by Bangladesh Betar held at local circuit house. Earlier, Mirza Fakrul commented that the government would not be given any more time to establish rights of women and children.

Director General of Bangladesh Betar Hosne Ara Talukder presided over the function while Chattogram Divisional Commissioner ABM Azad, Regional Director of Chattogram Betar SM Abul Hossain, among others, spoke as the special guests.

Hasan said, "Of course, they (BNP) have not given us time for long and they have never wanted to give us time since three months after we formed the government in 2009. But the reality is that people have given us time and Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the people, has been the Prime Minister for almost 12 years, so whether Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir would give us time or not is not a big issue, the main issue is whether the people are giving us time."

The information minister said that women have been empowered in Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"She made the reserved quota for 33 per cent women in the local government bodies. Bangabandhu's daughter has increased the number of women MPs to fifty. For the first time in the history of the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has appointed women to various posts including Foreign Minister, Home Minister and Speaker. The progress made under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina in the field of women's empowerment is a great example before the world," he added.