Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was surprised by a case filed against a government official over publishing a portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman drawn by a child, BBC Bangla reported.
The news portal interviewed her Political Adviser HT Imam in a programme on Thursday night, where he said the prime minister and officials at her office were shocked when they saw the news.
The former bureaucrat said he showed the portrait of the arrested upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) to the premier.
“The officer did a great job by organising a drawing competition of fifth graders. The portrait that was drawn is now before me and you can see it. There is nothing slanderous in it,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by HT Imam.
“Rather, the portrait deserves to be awarded and so is the officer,” Hasina praised, according to her political adviser.
HT Imam further said PM Hasina criticised the filing of the case, terming it condemnable.
“Being the highest level government official at the upazila level, a UNO cannot be punished or sued or slapped with any other action without the government’s approval,” he said, blaming Barisal’s deputy commissioner (DC) and superintendent of police (SP).
“I would hold both the DC and SP of Barisal responsible for the misbehaviour the UNO had faced and the way he was arrested,” HT Imam continued, adding: “We may have to take action against the duo.”
He also raised his eyebrows as to how the police recorded the case and the district judge of Barisal accepted it.
The premier’s political adviser also expressed his solidarity with the field level government officials who are offended by the incident.
After learning about the case, Hasina reacted saying: “What is the identity of the person who filed the case?”
HT Imam, claiming to have immediately gathered information about the plaintiff, said: “The intruder, who was not even involved with Awami League five years ago, did it all out of over-enthusiasm. And, some flatterers like him are harming us,” he observed.
“Maybe, some people were angry with the UNO and they wanted to insult him. Secondly, the filing of the case was aimed to create a chaotic situation among different services of the government. Tarnish the image of the government maybe the last reason,” he stated.
The ruling party and its like-minded parties expressed their adverse reaction over the matter.
They say a group of flatterers have been putting the government in an embarrassing situation at times by filing such lawsuits, mainly by raising an issue by misusing the name of Bangabandhu.
Party sources said around 50 organisations are running their activities using the name of Bangabandhu and Awami League.‘He has never seen Bangabandhu’The plaintiff, Barisal Bar Association President Obaedullah Saju, meanwhile told the Bangla Tribune’s Harun Ur Rashid on Friday that the Barguna Sadar UNO Gazi Tarek Salmon was not even born during the Liberation War.
“He did not even see Bangabandhu. And, this is why he published Bangabandhu’s distorted portrait. Had he been born during the time of Bangabandhu, Gazi Tarek would have realised who Bangabandhu was,” he said.
Saju, however, claimed he did not know that a child had drawn the portrait.
Saju had filed the Tk5 crore defamation case with Barisal Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on June 7 for using the portrait in invitation cards for the last Independence Day’s official event organised by the local administration, when Gazi Tarek was the UNO of Barisal’s Agoiljhara upazila.Gazi Tarek hopeful about PM’s actionGazi Tarek, who was sent to jail in the case on Wednesday and then released on bail later the same day, said he is a victim to conspiracy.
“An influential quarter, who failed to do illegal activities when I was the Agoiljhara UNO, are behind the case. I know the prime minister is just. Being Bangabandhu’s daughter, she will understand my love for him,” he told the Bangla Tribune on Thursday night.
“I will not have to apply to her. I believe that she herself would
take action against the conspirators,” he said.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
