Chandpur Correspondent :
Former Home Minister and AL candidate for Chandpur-Constituency,( Hajiganj-Shahrasti) Major Rafiqul Islam(Retd) Bir Uttam exchanged views with the journalists of print and electronic medias at Chandpur Press Club ahead of the coming national election on 30 December, at the Press Club Auditorium on Saturday.
Press Club President Iqbal Hossain Patwary presided over the view exchange meeting.
In his speech , Major Rtd Rafique briefly recalled his terrible and sour days and memories of the turbulent days during the great Liberation War in 1971. He said, risking their lives, they fought tooth and nail for freedom of Bangladesh. However, now he has called upon the press to highlight the spectacular development activities of the present Government led by PM Sheikh Hasina. He has added, a lot of development works have been done in Hajiganj and Shahrasti areas too. He also called upon the youths and new voters to vote for boat symbol in order to keep the development tempos uninterrupted.
Replying to a question of the journalists, , Sector Commander of Sector No-1 of Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Major Rtd Rafiqul Islam AL MP candidate from Chandpur- 5, Hajiganj-Shahrasti, Constituency has dubbed/termed the’ freedom fighters inside Jamaat’ as’ the freedom fighters of Pakistan , not of Bangladesh’. He again said,’ They are the freedom fighters of Pakistan because they did not fight for Bangladesh’s freedom , rather they fought for Pakistan’. He again said,’ their language is Urdu, not Bangla, and their soil is Pakistani , not the soil/land of Bangladesh’. We condemn ‘this statement of Jamaat regarding the presence/existence of freedom fighters in their parties’. ‘This statement is unpardonable, we can’t pardon them’ ‘ They do not even recognize the Father of the Nation’ nor show an inch of honour to him.’
Shahrasti Municpal Mayor M A Latif, and other leaders of Hajiganj and Shahrasti Upazilas were present on the occasion.
Earlier, Press Club President Iqbal Hossain Patwary warmly welcomed the Sector Commander Major Rtd Rafiqul Islam with a bouquet on his arrival at the meeting. One minute silence was also observed for the salvation of the departed soul of the War Veteran Taraman Bibi Bir Protik, who died on Friday at her home , on the first day of December-the Victory month..
Zila Parishad Chairman Osman Ghani Patwary , Hajiganj Upazila Chairman Prof Abdur Rashid Majumder, Press Club Secretary Mirza Jakir, Press Club members- Shahid Patwary, Prof Delwar Ahmed, Parthanath Chakrovorty, among others spoke on the occasion.
