Ashraf terms Mannan's remarks indecorous, audacious
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Bangladesh Awami League Joint General Secretary and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam Friday refuted as indecorous and audacious BNP Joint Secretary General Abdul Mannan's remarks about the Prime Minister's statement in parliament on opposition leader Khaleda Zia's cantonment house, reports UNB.
In a press statement, he said MA Mannan's protest statement is a 'distortion of fact and ill motivated'.
Syed Ashraf urged Khaleda Zia and BNP to rise above all greed, handover the cantonment house to the government and respond positively to the proposal for construction of apartments for the families of the army officers killed in Pilkhana carnage.
He also urged the BNP leaders to refrain from false propaganda and spreading canards while politicising a humanitarian proposal.
Syed Ashraf said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman faced martyrdom along with members of his family on August 15, 1975. Four national leaders-provisional Bangladesh government's acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman-were killed in Dhaka Central Jail.
He said the post-'75 governments did not give even an inch of land free of cost to the families of these heroic sons and martyrs. But after the killing of Ziaur Rahman, the then BNP government and army chief HM Ershad gifted Khaleda Zia ten bigha land and a house at Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment and another house in Gulshan free of cost.
The AL leader said Zia's bank account and lands at Savar and Joarasahara in the name of Khaleda Zia were 'completely concealed to grab the government property under a fable of broken suitcase and torn vest of Zia'.
Khaleda Zia and her two sons were provided with all expenses for their livelihood, cars, houses and education from the State, he added.
On the contrary, Syed Ashraf said, Bangabandhu's daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana sacrificed their ownership of Bangabandhu's house at Dhanmondi road No 32 preserving it as Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.
In 2001, he said, the then Awami League government allocated one bigha land in Dhanmondi for Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Rehana for her shelter. But after assuming power in late 2001, the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's alliance government captured the house to 'fulfill its mean vendetta'.
Syed Ashraf said it is well known to the people that Begum Zia and her sons mysteriously have become owners of huge money and property in the past three decades.
He alleged that as Prime Minister Khaleda amassed crores of taka illegally and whitened the money during past caretaker government, and her two sons also smuggled out cores of taka abroad and are facing corruption cases at home and abroad.
The Awami League leader said since Khaleda and her sons have become owners of crores of taka, Khaleda should return the property of the State including cantonment house to the people.
In such circumstances, he said, the Prime Minister had requested the opposition leader to keep her Gulshan house and relinquish the cantonment house for constructing apartments for the family members of the army officers killed at the BDR headquarters.
Syed Ashraf said: "It is inconceivable that though shedding crocodile tears for more than 50 killed army officers, why Khaleda being owner of huge money and property hesitates to make this little sacrifice and why BNP leaders are trying to politicize their leader's greed for money."
He said the Prime Minister did not make her humanitarian statement in parliament out of any shabby outlook or vendetta. He said the Prime Minister requested the opposition leader to stand by these distressed families and set up an example.
He said BNP leaders rather made a superficial interpretation of the Prime Minister's humanitarian appeal and demonstrated "sick mentality."
Syed Ashraf said as per cantonment board rules none can do party politics living in the cantonment. But giving a fig to the rules, Begum Zia has been conducting her political activities living in the cantonment. On the contrary, while Hasina was the opposition leader she was not allowed to enter the cantonment.
In a press statement, he said MA Mannan's protest statement is a 'distortion of fact and ill motivated'.
Syed Ashraf urged Khaleda Zia and BNP to rise above all greed, handover the cantonment house to the government and respond positively to the proposal for construction of apartments for the families of the army officers killed in Pilkhana carnage.
He also urged the BNP leaders to refrain from false propaganda and spreading canards while politicising a humanitarian proposal.
Syed Ashraf said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman faced martyrdom along with members of his family on August 15, 1975. Four national leaders-provisional Bangladesh government's acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman-were killed in Dhaka Central Jail.
He said the post-'75 governments did not give even an inch of land free of cost to the families of these heroic sons and martyrs. But after the killing of Ziaur Rahman, the then BNP government and army chief HM Ershad gifted Khaleda Zia ten bigha land and a house at Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment and another house in Gulshan free of cost.
The AL leader said Zia's bank account and lands at Savar and Joarasahara in the name of Khaleda Zia were 'completely concealed to grab the government property under a fable of broken suitcase and torn vest of Zia'.
Khaleda Zia and her two sons were provided with all expenses for their livelihood, cars, houses and education from the State, he added.
On the contrary, Syed Ashraf said, Bangabandhu's daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana sacrificed their ownership of Bangabandhu's house at Dhanmondi road No 32 preserving it as Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.
In 2001, he said, the then Awami League government allocated one bigha land in Dhanmondi for Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Rehana for her shelter. But after assuming power in late 2001, the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's alliance government captured the house to 'fulfill its mean vendetta'.
Syed Ashraf said it is well known to the people that Begum Zia and her sons mysteriously have become owners of huge money and property in the past three decades.
He alleged that as Prime Minister Khaleda amassed crores of taka illegally and whitened the money during past caretaker government, and her two sons also smuggled out cores of taka abroad and are facing corruption cases at home and abroad.
The Awami League leader said since Khaleda and her sons have become owners of crores of taka, Khaleda should return the property of the State including cantonment house to the people.
In such circumstances, he said, the Prime Minister had requested the opposition leader to keep her Gulshan house and relinquish the cantonment house for constructing apartments for the family members of the army officers killed at the BDR headquarters.
Syed Ashraf said: "It is inconceivable that though shedding crocodile tears for more than 50 killed army officers, why Khaleda being owner of huge money and property hesitates to make this little sacrifice and why BNP leaders are trying to politicize their leader's greed for money."
He said the Prime Minister did not make her humanitarian statement in parliament out of any shabby outlook or vendetta. He said the Prime Minister requested the opposition leader to stand by these distressed families and set up an example.
He said BNP leaders rather made a superficial interpretation of the Prime Minister's humanitarian appeal and demonstrated "sick mentality."
Syed Ashraf said as per cantonment board rules none can do party politics living in the cantonment. But giving a fig to the rules, Begum Zia has been conducting her political activities living in the cantonment. On the contrary, while Hasina was the opposition leader she was not allowed to enter the cantonment.