Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said that Awami League’s rally in Rajshahi on Sunday was 12 to 14 times bigger than BNP’s. The enthusiasm among the people throughout the city was incredible. He said these things in his office at the secretariat after exchanging views with the newly elected management council of the National Press Club on Monday afternoon. This information was informed in a press release of the Ministry of Information. Hasan Mahmud said, ‘There was an extraordinary meeting on Sunday. The entire city of Rajshahi turned into a public meeting. There were at least 10 to 12 times the number of people outside the madrasa ground where the meeting took place. BNPO also held a rally there. How many times bigger than them is difficult to estimate. However, it is 12 to 14 times bigger than BNP’s rally. The Prime Minister also watched the rally from the sky. The massive support of the people towards the Prime Minister and his party has been proved in this public meeting. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam’s comment ‘We still have to struggle for the right to vote, fair trial’ – this joint general secretary of Awami League spoke about this. He said, “I will strongly request Fakhrul Sahib to look at his face in the mirror and to see the face of the party as well.” After Bangabandhu was killed, BNP founder Ziaur Rahman stopped the Bangabandhu assassination trial by converting the Indemnity Ordinance into law. Not only justice but justice was stopped there. Four national leaders were killed inside the prison, the trial of which was also stopped. Ziaur Rahman started the violation of human rights in this country” Hasan Mahmud said, “Ziaur Rahman was associated with the killing of Bangabandhu. He became the head of the army by seizing power over Bangabandhu’s dead body. Ziaur Rahman could have become the army chief if the army officers who killed Bangabandhu and seized power were not loyal to them. Today it is as clear as daylight, proven, true. Ziaur Rahman hanged thousands of army officers without trial to consolidate his power. Many have been hanged, judgments passed after execution. Today, the muted cry of “Mayer Kanna”, the organization of the families of those victims, is floating in the air and has reached the ears of foreign diplomats. The information minister said, “If you talk about the right to vote, during Ziaur Rahman’s time, Sattar Saheb’s time, Khaleda Zia’s time, Ershad Saheb’s time, the slogan was “10 Hondas, 20 gangsters, elections are cold”. They started that bad culture. The 15 February 1996 elections were conducted by the BNPE. They could not stay in power for more than a month. So, he will get the answer when he sees his face in the mirror. Hasan Mahmud also said, ‘The BNP leaders are the ones who ordered the attacks that killed people by throwing petrol bombs on people in 2013, 14 and 15. Mirza Fakhrul is also one of those order givers. It is surprising to the people that they are still walking around after killing people by throwing petrol bombs like this. Earlier, the newly elected leaders of the National Press Club greeted the information minister with flowers. Hasan Mahmud congratulated them. He said, “The National Press Club has been consistently conducting elections in a very transparent, beautiful environment, through democratic practices.” I think this election of the National Press Club will play a role in integrating and spreading democratic practices at all levels. President Farida Yasmin, under the direction of Press Club General Secretary Shyamal Dutta, raised the demands of renaming the metro rail station adjacent to the Secretariat-National Press Club as ‘National Press Club Station’, the proposed reform of the Media Workers Act, cooperation in the construction of the 21st-floor building of the National Press Club and assistance to the Press Club Journalist Fund. Hasan Mahmud said that he had a discussion with the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Media Workers Act regarding the construction of the 21-story building of the press club. He assured discussions with concerned ministries regarding the naming of Metrorail stations and cooperation to strengthen the Press Club Fund. Hasan Hafiz, Vice President of National Press Club’s newly elected Management Council, Vice President Rezwanul Haque Raja, Joint Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan, and Md. Ashraf Ali, Treasurer Shahed Chowdhury, Member Farid Hossain, Kazi Rawnak Hossain, Shahnaz Siddiqui, Kalyan Saha, Shahnaz Begum, Syed Abdal Ahmad, Julhas Alam, Bakhtiar Rana, Mohammad Momin Hossain, and Shimant Khokon attended the meeting.
