Staff Reporter :BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday dismayed at the government’s plan to revoke the Swadhinata Padak of late President Ziaur Rahman. “If the government revokes Swadhinata Padak of Ziaur Rahman, it will be the government’s most unfortunate deed of the recent time,” he said.The BNP leader said it while addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan office on the day.”We are anxious and frustrated by the move. It will be very unfortunate and suicidal for the Awami League if the award is revoked finally,” Mirza Fakhrul said.He said “Ziaur Rahman was one of the Sector Commanders and fought for the country’s independence from the battlefield. It is the Awami League government that conferred Zia the ‘Bir Uttam’ title as mark of his contribution for the country’s independence. But sadly the successors of that government has planned to rescind it. The award may be withdrawn, but Ziaur Rahman will live in the hearts of millions of people for years.”Mirza Fakhurl also said the BNP led government awarded Swadhinata Padak to late President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman in 2003. He attributed it as an example of generosity. The Padak given to Zia is kept at the National Museum.He claimed that the whole nation has been shocked to have heard the sad news of rescinding the Swadhinata Padak of a brave man who died in 1981 in an abortive coup.There will be no room for Awami League to cure itself when the party leaders will realise its mistake, he added.Some media published reports that the government was mulling to withdraw the Swadhinata Padak of Ziaur Rahman. Referring to the reports, Fakhrul said, “We are sure of the government’s plans.”Responding to a query about Prime Minister’s press conference on Rampal today, Fakhrul expressed hope that the PM would cancel the project planned near the world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans.BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, central leader Nitai Roy Chowdhury and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, among with others, were present in the press conference.
