State minister credits BNP for 1971, 1990 and 2024 in parliament; opposition seeks expunction for ‘false' claims

Chief
adviser of the immediate past interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus had
travelled to London to hand over the “trophy” of the 2024 July–August movement
to Tarique Rahman and return with an election date, State Minister for Local
Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam said today.
He made
the remarks while participating in the thanksgiving motion on the president’s
speech in the Jatiya Sangsad.
The state
minister claimed that the “trophies” of three major political movements in the
country -- the 1971 Liberation War, the 1990 mass uprising and the July–August
2024 uprising -- belong to the BNP.
“All three
trophies are in our house. Only BNP can showcase such trophies. Awami League
can claim 1971 and 1990, but not July–August. The opposition can claim
July–August, but not 1971 and 1990,” he said.
His
remarks drew protests from opposition MPs.
Mir Shahe
Alam continued: “Opposition MPs may shout. They can talk about 1990. But in
1986, they joined Awami League’s election with fanfare, not us.”
As
protests intensified, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad intervened, asking members not
to obstruct proceedings and to present their arguments in due course.
Resuming
his speech, the minister said: “In the July–August movement, we were all with
the students and people. We did not take the trophy from anyone. But who was
the captain? That is known to Dr Muhammad Yunus. That is why he went to London,
handed the trophy to our captain, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and came back
with the election date.”
“This
proves which party and which leader played the leading role in the movement.
There can be many participants, but only one captain,” he added.
Addressing
Speaker Hafiz Uddin, Mir Shahe Alam further said: “Seeing you here, some may be
pleased, some may not. But you represent 1971. That credit goes to BNP, because
independence was declared by President Ziaur Rahman.”
The state
minister pointed to the presence of freedom fighters on the treasury benches
and claimed none were on the opposition side, prompting renewed protests.
The
speaker responded by noting that freedom fighters were also present on the
opposition benches, citing Gazi Nazrul Islam as an example.
Mir Shahe
Alam also referred to Khaleda Zia, saying that during her 2001 government she
had honoured opposition MPs by providing them cars with flags and indemnity.
He
stressed that the current parliament was the outcome of collective political
struggles.
“We
fought, you fought. But after 2014, you disappeared midway. We were together in
the four-party alliance and the 20-party alliance for long. We know each other
well. We held meetings, rallies, struggles together. But for some unknown
reason, you vanished after July–August and now try to mislead the nation by
clinging only to July–August, as if 1971 and 1990 never happened.”
He also
said that in the 2018 election, under the banner of Jatiya Oikya Front, the
current opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman and Jamaat leaders had contested
using BNP’s sheaf of paddy symbol.
Following
his speech, Shafiqur took the floor, saying: “We pledged from day one that this
opposition will not be conventional. We will cooperate in all just causes and
will uncompromisingly oppose all unjust, anti-people measures. But today, while
thanking the president, the honourable member has overwhelmed us with countless
falsehoods.”
“Some of
these you yourself corrected. We demand that no false information be presented
in parliament. We demand expunging of false information,” he added, addressing
the speaker.
In
response, the speaker said: “I will examine the speech. If there is any
unparliamentary or false information, it will be expunged.”
















