BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday apologised for his remark about removing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's portrait from Bangabhaban.
While inaugurating a free medical camp and blood donation programme at BNP's Naya Paltan central office Rizvi criticised removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's portrait from Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, describing it as an inappropriate action.
"After August 15, 1975, Khondaker Mostaque Ahmad removed the portrait of Sheikh Mujib from Bangabhaban, but Ziaur Rahman later reinstated it," he said.
Rizvi said, "You may have done it, but time does not always pass in the same way. Everyone's contributions should be properly acknowledged. So, I believe his (Mujib's) photo should not have been removed."
Rizvi said that history would ultimately judge the contributions of all to national life, and it should be the responsibility of the people to assess and weigh the contributions and misdeeds of everybody.
He said, "As we are not as narrow-minded as the Awami League, we believe Sheikh Mujib's portrait should not have been removed from Bangabhaban."
After hours of criticism in a statement Rizvi said, "I thought Sheikh Mujib's photo was taken down from the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, where all the Presidents' portraits are displayed. In fact, the photo of Sheikh Mujibr Rahman was removed from another office room in Bangabhaban."
Rizvi said that, Sheikh Hasina's fascist regime had made it mandatory, through legislation, to display the portraits of Sheikh Mujib. Such fascist laws would have no effect after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's regime, he said.
Rizvi said, "Everywhere, from offices to courts, there should be no symbols of misrule. I apologise for that unwarranted statement."
