Khaleda must sever ties with militancy: Inu

Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu Saturday said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has to cut off relations with militancy and communal forces to establish peace in the country.
"Political peace would not be established until Khaleda Zia really severs relations with militancy and communal forces," he made the comments in an interview with BSS on the day.
"We should reach a national agreement regarding rooting out militancy from Bangladesh to make it a happy and prosperous country," he added.
Inu described militancy as a threat to democracy and said it has to be fought through a national consensus.
About current political crisis, he said, "This is not merely a conflict between the two leaders or political parties.  Basically, it is a political and ideological conflict."
After the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Ziaur Rahman had started off clashes through rehabilitating the anti-liberation forces.
The country's democracy came under threat repeatedly as military rulers, including general Zia and BNP chief Khaleda Zia, patronised militancy and communal forces.
"If we want to strengthen democracy and democratic process, we have to combat militancy and war criminals completely," the minister asserted.
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina is representing democracy while BNP chief Khaleda Zia is representing militant and communal forces.
There is no scope for compromise on the question of militancy, Inu said militant forces must be defeated to ensure safe journey of democracy.
Khaleda Zia has to sever relations with militancy and communal forces for her survival in politics, he added.
Inu said those doing politics joining hands with militants are distorting history to misguide people of the country to fulfill their ill motives.
He alleged that Khaleda Zia is favoring the defeated forces of 1971 and said she is doing conspiracy to derail "development train".
About BNP's claim that Ziaur Rahman was the first President of Bangladesh, the minister said Khaleda Zia is conspiring to kill history by resorting to three types of falsehood.
He said the falsehoods are: Ziaur Rahman is proclaimer of independence, fake birthday of Khaleda Zia on August 15 and Zia is the first President of Bangladesh. They (BNP) are making such false statements in a planned way to gain ill interest in politics, the information minister added.
He said Khaleda Zia is discovering "first president theory" to destroy history of War of Liberation at a time when people of the country are rendering the national anthem in chorus being imbued with the spirit of War of Liberation.