The ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League warned that they would not allow the BNP to hold any rally unless the party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman withdrew his false and derogatory remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
BCL also vowed to resist the upcoming rally called by the BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia if Tarique did not apologise to the nation for his comment.
The BCL leaders said these at a demonstration programme held at the party’s head office at Bangabandhu avenue in the capital yesterday. The event was organised to protest the recent comments by Tarique Rahman about Bangabandhu and Awami League.
“Tarique should withdraw his infuriating comments against Bangabandhu and should also seek apology immediately. Moreover, we demand the BNP to sack him [Tarique] from the post and expel him from the party,” Chhatra League Central Committee President H M Badiuzzaman Sohag said.
“Unless he apologises, Chhatra League will organise rallies at the same time and same place to counter Khaleda Zia’s rally all over the country,” he added.
Also present in the event, food minister Kamrul Islam said for the sake of a decent politics, Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman should be banished from politics.
Later, a procession was brought out by Chhatra League, who also burnt an effigy of Tarique Rahman in front of the National Press Club in the evening.
Earlier, on Friday the Awami League called upon BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman to seek apology to the nation for their adverse comments.
While addressing a programme in London recently, Tarique Rahman called Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “razakar” - a term meaning “traitor.”
On Thursday, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Tarique in a sedition and defamation case filed in this regard.
Tarique has been living in London since September 11, 2008 on medical grounds after securing parole in various cases including money laundering.
He faces 14 charges, of which four, including the August 21 grenade attack case, are on trial. The rest have been stayed.
Awami League leaders said Tarique was in London under the political shelter of the British Government to avoid the cases pending against him.