Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today questioned whether Begum Zia could show such generosity that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown to the convicted BNP chief.
�Former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was that person in whose regime grenade attacks were carried out on August 21 by her son. Later, she (Begum Zia) told the parliament that our leader (Sheikh Hasina) carried the grenades in her vanity bag,� he told reporters.
The minister said this while replying to a query after attending the 56th Chattogram University (CU) Day function here.
Hasan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Begum Khaleda Zia�s residence to show sympathy over the death of Begum Zia�s son and waited there for about 20-25 minutes. But, she (Begum Zia) didn�t open the door, he added.
He said Bangabandhu�s daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited Begum Zia before 2014�s election. But, she (Begum Zia) rejected the invitation through her bad behaviour, he added.
The minister said Begum Zia cuts cake on August 15 marking her fake birthday and to ridicule the August 15 massacre and to encourage the killers.
�She didn�t get acquittal or bail from the court. But now she is out of prison. A housemaid was allowed to stay with Begum Zia when she was in jail which is unprecedented in the sub-continent. Even, I and no one could show the generosity which was shown by the Prime Minister,� he added.
Replying to another query over a comment of the BNP secretary general, he said the countrymen didn�t forget the anarchy of BNP. BNP did the politics of petrol bomb attacks, blockade and arson attacks on school students, musallis and moezzins. �Our party doesn�t practice such politics,� said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Earlier in the function, the minister said the university has played a pivotal role in building the society and the development of human resources in the last 55 years.
He wished that the reputation of the university would spread across the globe through its great role in practicing culture, free-thinking and research.
CU Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Benu Kumar Dey, former vice chancellors Professor Dr M Badiul Alam and Anwarul Azim Arif, president of CU Alumni Association and former Principal Secretary Dr Abdul Karim, its general secretary Mahabubul Alam, former CUCSU VPs Mazharul Haque Shah and Nazim Uddin, among others, addressed the function with CU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shirin Akhtar in the chair.
CU acting registrar SM Monirul Hasan gave the welcome address while Professor Mohibul Aziz of Bangla Department and dean of CU Arts Faculty read out the keynote paper in the function.