BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakrhul Islam Alamgir yesterday advised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy to stop talking like a “fool” if he really wanted to be a leader of the next generation.
Fakhrul made the remark at a programme in the capital, in response to a recent comment by Joy, who said he doubted whether BNP founder Ziaur Rahman really believed in the spirit of Liberation War.
“Mr Joy is a new leader of the new generation. He is every young. What can I say about him? I do not have anything personal against him...[the only thing I can say to him is] stop talking like a foolish boy,” Fakhrul said.
“Making derogatory remarks about Ziaur Rahman and his contribution means denying the history of Bangladesh,” he said.
Addressing Joy, who advises his mother on information and communication technology affairs, Fakhrul said: “Read the country’s history and then talk about it. Then people will also accept it. If you talk like the other Awami League leaders, then the young generation will not accept you as a new leader.”
At a programme in the capital on Friday, Joy said the BNP was a “party of Razakars” because it had been doing politics with Razakars. He also said if BNP had to prove otherwise then it would have to cut its ties with the Razakars.
Questioning Joy’s patriotic integrity, Fakhrul said: “Mr Joy was born in Bangladesh under the Pakistan army’s protection. He spent a big part of his life in India and is now living in the United States. People can judge how patriotic he actually is.”
The BNP spokesperson then referred to the recent dismissal of minister Latif Siddique, who said at a programme in New York that the government paid Joy $200,000 per month.
“Abdul Latif Siddique said this in New York but the government is yet to say anything in this regard. We want to know why Latif lost his job; is it for commenting on Hajj or on Joy?” Fakrul inquired.
During yesterday’s programme, Fakhrul also thanked PM’s adviser HT Imam for what he said was unveiling the truth about the January 5 election.
At a programme organised by Chhatra League last week, Imam said the leaders and activists of the ruling party’s student front, who worked for the January 5 election, needed not to worry about getting government jobs.
Fakrul interpreted Imam’s remarks as: “Prime minister’s adviser HT Imam said the truth. He said how people’s hopes and aspirations have been shattered on January 5. He also said how the partisan officials occupied the voting centres. We congratulate him for unveiling the truth.
“The ‘golden boys’ of Chhatra league grabbed people’s houses, properties and educational institutions. Now Mr Imam and company want to give them government jobs,” the BNP leader said.