BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday strongly protested recent remarks by Jamaat-e-Islami leaders regarding the Liberation War, accusing the party of distorting history and engaging in political hypocrisy.
Speaking at an election road meeting at Jongolkata in Konakhali Union under Chakaria upazila, Salahuddin, also the BNP candidate for Cox’s Bazar-1 (Chakaria–Pekua), alleged that renewed efforts are underway to misrepresent the history of Bangladesh’s independence.
“Perhaps one day we may even hear that Jamaat-e-Islami fought for the country’s independence,” he said, criticising what he termed an attempt to rewrite history.
Referring to a recent statement by the Jamaat ameer, Salahuddin said misleading and false claims were made about the declaration of independence. He objected in particular to the assertion that martyred President Ziaur Rahman did not declare independence, and that the declaration was made by Colonel Oli instead.
Salahuddin said such statements were not unexpected from a party that, according to him, opposed Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
“The people of Bangladesh know the truth. The current effort to portray themselves as a pro-Liberation War force is nothing but deception and hypocrisy,” he said.
He further alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami is attempting to use the inclusion of a freedom fighter in its ranks to symbolically claim alignment with the Liberation War.
He said genuine freedom fighters and patriotic citizens would never accept such efforts and would protest against them.
Calling for resistance against what he described as historical distortion, Salahuddin said it was the responsibility of political activists to firmly oppose the spread of misinformation about the country’s independence.
He also criticised Jamaat-e-Islami over recent comments on women, alleging that the party had insulted working women and proposed measures that would ultimately harm women’s employment rather than protect their welfare.
The meeting was attended by Cox’s Bazar district BNP Organising Secretary Jamil Ibrahim Chowdhury, Office Secretary Yusuf Badri, Matamuhuri organisational upazila BNP General Secretary Hefazatur Rahman Chowdhury Tipu, Organising Secretary Shoaibul Islam Sabuj, among others.
