Opposition Deceived by Skipping July Memorial Inauguration: State Minister Shah-e Alam

Opposition leaders were invited to the inauguration of the memorial built in memory of the July-August martyrs but stayed away, which amounts to deception, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shah-e Alam has said. He made the remarks at a press briefing held at Shibganj Upazila Parishad on Friday morning.

The state minister said those who practise politics and shout about July-August all day did not attend the inauguration despite being invited, and instead put forward lame excuses for staying away.

He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was the chief guest at the inauguration of the government-built July Memorial at Osmani Udyan on 19 October. On behalf of Dhaka South City Corporation, the presidents and general secretaries of all like-minded, allied and coalition political parties had been invited to the event.

Not only were invitation cards sent, City Corporation administrator Md Abdus Salam also confirmed the invitations to everyone by telephone, the state minister said.

At the event, the Prime Minister inaugurated the memorial and the Osmani Udyan — modernised after a long 10 years — together with the fathers of martyrs Mir Mugdho, Abu Sayeed and Anas and the mother of one martyr. The names of 834 gazetted martyrs are inscribed on the memorial, the country's only martyrs' memorial of its kind, he said.

On the remarks of Jamaat-e-Islami's secretary general, Mir Shah-e Alam said the argument that they did not attend because the opposition leader's name was not on the invitation card is not correct.

He said veteran politician Mahmudur Rahman Manna, national leader Saiful Haque and BNP standing committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed were called onto the stage by the Prime Minister even though their names were not on the invitation card. Had the opposition accepted the invitation and attended, the Prime Minister would have called their representative to the stage as well, he said.

Calling for an end to politics exploiting a particular religion or group, the state minister said Jamaat-e-Islami practises cheap politics by winning votes with promises of paradise at election time. He said: 'Before the vote you lure people with paradise, and you dance to the drums at Puja; yet after this vote you could not be found at any Puja.'

The state minister said: 'For the first time in the country's history, the opposition is getting chocolate. In the past, we did not even get a place to sit. You are now getting every facility.' He also accused Jamaat and other opposition parties of spreading confusion across the country in the name of a one-point movement.

Citing BNP's ideology, he said the party does not practise politics by exploiting any particular religious or specific group; everyone here is Bangladeshi, and the BNP will return to the people by winning everyone's hearts. Those who exploit a religion or group for politics have faced consequences that the people have seen before, he added.

Urging the opposition to give up one-sided movements or long marches and come to parliament, the state minister said pointing out the government's mistakes or staging walkouts is also the beauty of democracy; the opposition has that right, and they return after the walkout. Requesting that obscene language not be used in the name of free speech, he warned that the nationalist forces would not accept it if such language continued. On internal party discipline, he said the 'hidden' element exists within the BNP too; those responsible will be identified and necessary action taken.

He also noted that five membership seats have been kept vacant for the opposition in the constitution amendment committee to implement the July Charter to the letter. He called on the opposition to leave the path of confrontation, join the committee, take part in implementing the July Charter, and quickly submit the names of five representatives. After the briefing, the state minister handed over five lakh taka to the family of Firoza of Kichak Haripur village, who was killed in a road accident.