Kazi Zahidul Hasan :Awami League (AL) general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s remarks on Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), a member of the ruling coalition, drew huge repercussions in the country’s political arena.Apart from inside the party politics of ruling AL led 14-party alliance, the issue is now being discussed widely everywhere in the country.The issue has become the talk of the town also. A lot of questions arose among the leaders and workers of the coalition that why an influential leader like Syed Ashraf at a function on Monday came up with the remarks that JSD was responsible for creating the grounds for the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and AL would have to repent for making a Minister from the party.Criticising the activities of JSD, Syed Ashraf, also Minister for Public Administration, said: “Those who are aloud about revolution can never make revolution a success. Those who usually come up with tall talks, have a very little courage. The imprudent persons can never do constructive work”.Echoing the same arguments with Syed Ashraf, opposition lawmaker Kazi Firoz Rashid on Tuesday came down heavily on JSD in the Parliament, accusing the left-leaning party of killing around 20 lakh people in the country. Supporting the comment of AL secretary general, Firoz Rashid, said he (Ashraf) has said the right thing. Describing his bitter experiences of JSD-backed Gonobahini activities after the country’s independence, Firoz Rashid said: “They had not only killed AL leaders and activists at that time but also created the ground for the killing of Bangabandhu. The country might not have lost the national leaders like Bangabandhu if they had not launched the killing mission. The nation has been suffering since then because of JSD.” Speaking on a point of order, the JP MP said: “The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is all absorber and she can absorb even poison. JSD is now in the Parliament. It seems to me that in the future she might bring those engaged in secret killings to the House.”The Prime Minister and Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu, also president of JSD, were not present in Parliament during his speech Meanwhile, protesting the Syed Ashraf’s remarks, JSD (Inu) at a rally on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop her party’s general secretary from ‘throwing mud’ for the sake of the unity of the ruling coalition. “Blaming each other like this way will destroy the unity of the 14-party alliance when Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu is working for the development of the country as a Cabinet member of ruling alliance,” said Shirin Akter, secretary general of JSD while speaking in the rally. “Bangladesh is marching ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasanul Haq Inu has also announced war against the extremist and militants. In the mean time, these types of remarks of Syed Ashraf will harm the unity of the pro-Liberation camp,” she said. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader termed Syed Ashraf’s remark as his (Ashraf) personal opinion, saying it is not the AL’s statement.It may be mentioned that Syed Ashraf is also the AL spokesperson. When Syed Ashraf says something, besides party leaders and workers, other political parties and people from all walks of life believe it is the statement of AL. After Syed Ashraf when Kazi Firoz Rashid echoed the same, the leaders and workers of AL led-14-party coalition are now taking the issue seriously and considering it as the latest development in the country’s political arena, insiders said.They are even thinking such development might be brought crack in ruling coalition.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL President, however, refrained from making any comment on the issue.
