The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk :  Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader on Friday blasted the intellectuals who gave a statement demending the release of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
“A section of the intellectual community turned their back on the development of the AL government and forgot the violence created by the BNP. Now they are shamelessly demanding the release of Mirza Fakhrul,” he said.
Quader was addressing a rally on the premises of Shyamoli Square, arranged by Dhaka City North AL in protest against “BNP-Jamaat’s anti-state conspiracy, anarchy and propaganda.”
He said now BNP is demanding the release of its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir through the statement of intellectuals. “Fakhrul Islam is their (intellectuals) friend. Intellectuals issued a statement saying that Fakhrul Islam is sick. When Father of the Nation was assassinated on August 15, 1975, did you (intellectuals) issue a statement?” he asked. He said when four national leaders were killed inside Dhaka jail and Ahsanullah Master was killed, the intellectuals didn’t protest. Sixty distinguished citizens on Thursday urged the government to release BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to strengthen and accelerate the process of democracy.
Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas on December 9, a day before the December 10 rally of the BNP, and showed them arrested in a case lodged with Paltan Police Station. They are yet to be released. “We are on high alert on the roads to counter any violent activities by the opposition parties,” said Obaidul Quader at the Shyamoli rally. He said that those, who do evil politics, could not repair a state.
“BNP had killed the country’s democracy and destroyed the state. They announced that they will repair the state. How they will do that? They do evil politics. Those who do evil politics, they cannot repair the state rather they destroy the state,” he said. He said that AL leaders and activists remained alert to resist BNP’s anarchy. “We will have to resist terrorism and anti-liberation forces,” he said.
AL presidium member Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan, organising secretaries Mirza Azam and SM Kamal Hossain, health affairs secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana, Dhaka City North AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and general secretary SM Mannan Kachi also addressed the rally.