BNP doesn’t stay with people during disaster: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud Monday said the BNP doesn’t stay with people during any disaster, rather they always exaggerate. “BNP leaders are only delivering speeches and exaggerating sitting idle at their Naya Paltan’s party office and talking tall talks in front of Press Club. But they are not with flood victims”, he said.

The minister told the reporters at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the capital.

Mentioning the politics is for people’s wellbeing and for service of the country and society, he said the Awami League leaders and activists are with flood victims from the very beginning as per Bangabandhu’s daughter’s directives and even sacrificed life.

Hasan said, “BNP leaders weren’t beside the countrymen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our party (Awami League) leaders and activists stood beside the people and distributed relief items and health materials. For this, five AL central leaders including Cabinet members, even, advisory council members and lawmakers died.”

But, he said, BNP didn’t stay beside the countrymen as they did only photo sessions.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina passes sleepless night during any disaster. 

“Before eight to ten days ago in a Cabinet meeting, the premier forecasted flood. She is not meteorologist. But she told this with her common sense. And later, the country witnessed over 1000 millimeters rainfall in a day,” he said.

 In the beginning of the flood, the premier asked the administration to stay beside the flood victims and called out the army, the minister said.

The prime minister also gave directives to her party leaders and activists to be with the victims, he added.

The minister said the AL leaders and activists stood beside the flood victims along with the administration though they are also marooned.

 The related news are also being aired and published by different mass media, he said, adding, even, one Chhatra League leader died.

Replying to a query over BNP’s comments on Padma Bridge, Hasan said the bridge is pain for BNP-Jamaat and others who didn’t want it.

 So, it is pain for them as the bridge has been completed and its inauguration is more pain for them indeed, he added.

He said they (BNP) don’t want the inauguration of the Padma Bridge. Even, they are plotting different conspiracies to spoil the inaugural programme, he added.

Form the pain, they are talking these, he said, adding the government is not celebrating the inauguration of the Padma Bridge and just doing a public meeting for inauguration.

He said the bridge is not only making easier the communication and trade of the people of two sides, it will help face flood. 

The Padma Bridge is the symbol of ability of a nation, symbol of dignity and symbol of ability of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government as well, he added.

A public meeting and an inauguration programme will be held on June 25 there, said Hasan.