'Did not take decision of stopping power supply in day time, It is Twafiq-e-Elahi’s personal statement'

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the government didn’t take any decision of stopping power supply during day time.

“The government didn’t take such decision of stopping power supply in the day time. It is Twafiq-e-Elahi’s personal statement and he could explain it better,” he said.

The minister stated this while replying to a query over a comment of Adviser to the Prime Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury over the ongoing power issue.

Replying to another query over BNP’s rally recently held in Khulna, Hasan said BNP carried out vandalism at newly-constructed rail station and Awami League Dowlatpur unit office during the rally. The BNP leaders are claiming that the services of buses and launches were closed, he added.

But, he said, the reality is that the owners of buses and launches have called strike and the government has no interference. They (BNP) killed labours alive through arson attacks and torched buses and launches in 2013, 2014 and 2015, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

For this, the minister said, the owners, drivers and helpers of buses and launches were worried and called the strike.

Showing different photos of that period (2013, 2014 and 2015), he said, “You can see how the people were killed through arson attack perpetrated by BNP. They (bus owners) called the strike due to the ill politics of BNP.”

Replying to another query over a comment of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the minister said before the 2008’s election, Begum Khaleda Zia had told that Awami League would not get more than 30 seats. But, it is a regrettable truth that BNP got 29 seats at first and later the number of seats increased after the by-polls, he added.

He said Awami League formed the government by securing three quarters seats. BNP had formed a unity by ‘hiring’ Dr Kamal Hossain along with rightists, leftists, extreme rightists and extreme leftist in 2018. But they got only five seats, he added.

“And now, I fear whether the statement of Fakhrul Islam of getting only 10 seats would be applicable to them,” said Hasan.

He said the countrymen and AL leaders and activists as well are feeling tickling to see their rallies. In fact, BNP leaders were habituated to hold rallies through gathering about two thousands of people and now around 10-15 thousands of people are gathering in BNP’s rallies, he added.

He said the government is assisting BNP as they can hold rallies and police have shown their unprecedented patience in Khulna. They (BNP) threw bricks and stones at police, he added.

But, he said, the rally of BNP was held without any hassle. “Besides, BNP carried out grenade attacks on us when they were in power. Even, they killed AL leaders Shah AMS Kibria, Ahsanullah Master and others,” he added.

Replying to another query over some comments of Jatiya Party chairman GM Kader, the minister said many people call it as ‘B team’. For this, currently he is giving some critical statements and it is good, said Hasan.

The minister hoped that the party would solve their internal problems.