Tarique takes a swipe at Bangabandhu again

FE Team | Published: November 07, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Claiming that he has been charged with sedition for revealing historical facts, BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman has said a sedition case should be filed against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for being the president of Bangladesh after returning home with a Pakistani passport, reports UNB.
"Perhaps, I've been charged with sedition charges in the country for coming up with some historical facts. A sedition case should be lodged against Sheikh Mujib because, he had taken oath as president after returning to independent Bangladesh as a Pakistani citizen with a Pakistani passport on January 10, 1972," he said.
Mr Rahman, also the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, made the remarks while addressing a discussion in East London Wednesday arranged by the UK chapter of BNP, marking the 'National Revolution and Solidarity Day'.
The BNP leader said the sedition case against Bangabandhu should be filed to have the legal answer to the question as to how a Pakistani citizen was sworn in as president of independent Bangladesh.
On October 18, advocate Moshiur Rahman Malek, president of Bangabandhu Foundation, filed the sedition case against Tarique for calling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman "Pakbandhu (Friend of Pakistan)".
Mr Rahman alleged that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after 'illegally grabbing power' apparently had played an "anti-liberation role by indiscriminately killing freedom fighters and forgiving" the identified war criminals ignoring public opinion.
Tarique at the beginning of his speech alleged that the new generation is being taught false, distorted and biased history. "They should have known the real and correct history."
In his long address, the BNP senior vice chairman discussed various issues relating to the Liberation War, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's role in the Liberation War, National Revolution and Solidarity Day on November 7 and the perspective in which his father Ziaur Rahman had assumed power.
Branding Inu as a militant, Tarique said, "The Inu Bahini (force) had crafted the ground for the murder of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. They'd later tried to make their own political gains by using the popularity of Ziaur Rahman. As they'd had failed to do so, they're now trying to tarnish Ziaur Rahman's image by resorting to lies and distorting history."
He also came down heavily on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saying 'wrong-headed' Hasina illegally grabbed power with 'so-called MPs' who were not elected with people's votes.
Tarique Rahman has been staying in London since 2008.