The much-talked-about milad and doa mahfil arranged by BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s younger brother Ahmed Kamal for his deceased family members was held in the city on Wednesday without the participation of any BNP leaders and activists.
The controversial programme was held at the city’s Institution of Diploma Engineers’, Bangladesh in the afternoon. In a brief address prior to the prayer programme, Ahmed Kamal said he arranged the programme seeking salvation of the departed souls of his parents, brothers, including Zia and his younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, and
other family members. “It’s solely a family programme.”
As different media reported various speculations over the programme, Kamal said, “I request all not to take this programme otherwise.” He said, the country’s overall situation is now very vulnerable. “There’s no democracy now in the country though the government describe it as democracy. Now the country is run by autocracy. Under the circumstances, all should come forward for the welfare of the country and restoration of healthy politics and democracy.”
Dropping a hint that he is not coming in politics now, the BNP founder’s brother said he will inform all at the right time if he steps into politics. Some BNP senior leaders earlier doubted about a fresh conspiracy against BNP to split it as Kamal suddenly took the initiative to hold the milad mahfil.
A BNP vice chairman requesting anonymity on Sunday told UNB that a fresh plot may be hatched to split BNP as it was done after the 1/11 changeover. “This time the conspirators may try to use Ahmed Kamal to break the party’s unity.”
However, no leader and activist of BNP and its associate bodies joined the programme. Over two hundred unknown youths participated in the milad. But, S Islam Don, a distant relative of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, provided Kamal with all-out support to hold the programme and he joined it.
A police checkpost was installed outside the venue centering the programme. A number of plainclothes police members were seen moving around the venue during the programme.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press briefing, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon said anybody can arrange doa mahfil for Zia and his deceased family members.
Asked as to why their party leaders and activists did not join the programme, he said as they had a schedule briefing at the party headquarters over the sending of their party standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra to jail by a court, the BNP men came to the party office to register their protest instead of taking part in the milad. Replying to another query whether they see any plot against their party behind holding such a programme, Ripon parried the question saying journalists can look into the matter.
