Staff Reporter :
Jahangir Kabir Nanak, a prominent member of the Awami League presidium and the Minister of Textiles and Jute, delivered a pointed critique of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman on Monday.
Nanak alleged that Ziaur Rahman aimed to eliminate the Awami League to secure his authority permanently.
“However, when our leader Sheikh Hasina returned to the country in 1981, we saw a new determination,” Nanak said during a meeting with Dinajpur District Awami League leaders at Dinajpur Circuit House. “We stood behind her and, under her leadership, we turned things around.”
Nanak went on to accuse Rahman of hypocrisy, claiming that when the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League (Baksal) was formed, Rahman had sought membership. “Yet today, they speak so boldly,” he noted, referring to the BNP’s current stance.
Reflecting on the political landscape post-1975, Nanak stated that General Zia initiated a trend of depoliticization and rehabilitated anti-independence forces. “We cannot return to those days,” he asserted.
“In this country, the government will be led by pro-independence forces, and the opposition will also consist of pro-independence forces.
Followers of Bangabandhu will control the country’s destiny,” he said. Nanak further argued that Ziaur Rahman’s party was established with the intent to undermine Bangladesh’s independence.
“That is why he sheltered and supported the 1971 independence opponents and war criminals like Ghulam Azam and Nizami. After 1975, he rewarded the killers like Dalim and Rashid,” he added. Addressing his visit to Dinajpur, the Minister emphasized his focus on agricultural and industrial development.