Food Minister and Dhaka City Awami League Joint General Secretary Advocate Quamrul Islam on Thursday said BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman should be stripped off the national gallantry award 'Bir Uttam' for patronising the anti-liberation forces.
The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at an anti-hartal rally organised by Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote in front of the National Press Club in the capital.
Quamrul said, "As an agent of ISI (Inter-services Intelligence) of Pakistan Ziaur Rahman took part in the Liberation War. He was behind the killings of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders. For this reason, he rewarded the killers and promulgated the infamous indemnity ordinance to stop trial of these massacres. He also established the anti-liberation forces in state power."
He said, "The source of power of Ziaur Rahman's successors, BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman, is also ISI."
The minister said people of the country would not know about the hartal if the media did not publish or air the call for hartal given through BNP-Jamaat websites and video calls.
He urged the media not to publish or air such a hartal-call in future.
Later, an anti-hartal march was brought out from the venue.    ?BSS