Describing it as a “cancer of society,” Food Minister Quamrul Islam yesterday said civil society members are now instigating BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to burn people.
“Civil Society members inspire Khaleda Zia to kill people. I feel ashamed of speaking about them. Fie! Are they conscience of the nation? They’re a cancer of society. They instigate Khaleda Zia in burning people,” he said while addressing a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
Bangladesh Swadhinata Parishad, a pro-Awami League platform, arranged the human chain protesting hartal and blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
The food minister said the Dr Kamal Hossain and Mahmud Rahman Manna conspirators and masterminds of the 1/11 political changeover.
“We’ve noticed that the masterminds of the 1/11 political changeover have launched a banner of civil society…there’s no ground under their feet. There is no democracy in their own parties, but they’re advocating for dialogue. They always wait for such a situation.”
The fire triggered by Khaleda Zia will burn Khaleda herself and her party BNP to death, the minister warned.
“The day is not far away when the BNP leaders having good sense will besiege Khaleda Zia. The party leaders will exert pressure on her from inside (to come out from violence),” Quamrul said.
Branding BNP-Jamaat as “beast”, the food minister said there could be no dialogue between humans and beast.
“They’ve turned into beast. No dialogue can be held with them. Stern actions are needed to uproot the beast. What the law enforcement agencies are doing is appropriate,” he added.
The ongoing violence and arson attacks will be over within a few days, the minister said asking people to have patience for a few days. “Everything will be fine... everything has its end.”
AL leaders Shahe Alam Murad, MA Karim, Zakir Ahmed, Hedayetul Islam and Hasibur Rahman Manik, and President of the Parishad Zinnat Ali Khan Zinnah and its general secretary Fazlul Haque, among others, spoke at the programme.
