Published: 01:44 AM, 27 November 2018 Last Update: 01:57 AM, 27 November 2018
How can patrons of Freedom Party gain trust?
Freedom Party is a political party which was founded by Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Syed Farook Rahman and Bazlul Huda who were derailed immoral military officers who assassinated Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the 15th of August 1975.
Military dictator Ziaur Rahman rehabilitated the assassins of Bangabandhu by sending them abroad while former President H M Ershad gave an opportunity to come up in an institutional form. Freedom Party members were allowed to enter Bangladesh Parliament through the controversial election of 1988.
Freedom Party directly opposed the ideology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Freedom Party allied with the anti-independence political parties of Bangladesh and thus it became much influential during the regimes of H M Ershad and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Freedom Party later was prohibited in Bangladesh when Awami League came to power. Though it is banned still there are reportedly members of Freedom Party working stealthily under cover of other political parties. Allegations are that Freedom Party had affiliations with the masterminds of the grenade attack carried out on 21st August 2004.
A large number of supporters, activists and leaders of Freedom Party are living abroad. They are allegedly keeping in touch with their likeminded politicians and bureaucrats in Bangladesh.
Political sources have informed that the believers in the ideology of Freedom Party are holding higher posts in government service and they are making evil strategies to make damage to the ruling party at this crucial time while the election is just round the corner.
Freedom Party launched a newspaper named Dainik Millat which was circulated for some years in the 1980s and the 1990s.
It is to be recalled that police opened fire on a motorcade of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on 24th January 1988 in Chittagong during H M Ershad's rule. Around 25 people got killed in that occurrence. Some more attacks on Sheikh Hasina were made when H M Ershad's Jatiya Party was in power.
Freedom Party was created by the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is painful to see that the patrons of Freedom Party are joining hands with Awami League. Really Seleucus, what a strange political scenario is!
H M Ershad wanted to wipe out all democratic norms from Bangladesh while he was the country's President. Lots of politicians, student leaders and intellectuals were detained or tormented by the law and order forces under directives of H M Ershad.
From 2000 onward, Mehnaz Rashid, daughter of Khandaker Abdur Rashid, had been engaged in reconsolidating Freedom Party. She contested the parliamentary polls in 2001 and 2008 from Chandina of Comilla with Freedom Party's nomination.
Mehnaz Rashid was nabbed by police in 2009 along with Kamrul Haque Swapan, younger brother of Shariful Haque Dalim, who is another killer of Bangabandhu, for suspected connections with a bomb attack on Awami League parliamentarian Fazle Noor Taposh.
Freedom Party's current chairman is ex Colonel Syed Farook Rahman's son Syed Tarik Rahman, who lives in Sydney, Australia.Political analysts have expressed the opinion that tieing up with the loyalists of Freedom Party undermines the spirit of 1971.
Awami League's joint secretary general Mahbubul Alam Hanif said to The Asian Age, "Freedom Party does not exist anymore but their members may be active inside or outside other political parties.
People believing in the notions of Freedom Party may be in militancy and radical groups as they do not support secularism. Law and order forces are on high alert. I hope troublemakers cannot cause any harm."
Awami League's Member of Parliament (MP) RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury told The Asian Age, "All political parties who love Bangladesh should not compromise with the entities that oppose the ideals of Bangabandhu and deny the glory of the Liberation War." Former Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said to The Asian Age, "Freedom Party was launched by the killers of Bangabandhu.
Bangladeshi people do not want to see any further bloodshed. Now we want to shine with our own merit and hardwork. So, patriotic political parties should not have alliance with any platform that practices politics of blood and violence."
Professor Dr Syed Anwar Hussain, Department of History, Dhaka University said, "Political leaders should not forget history. Those who patronized the killers of Bangabandhu can never be trusted."
Mujahidul Islam Selim, President, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) told The Asian Age, "At present democratic practice is not in a very good shape in Bangladesh.
Evil powers always grow under such circumstances. Therefore, only a wider level of democracy can fight all dark forces including the anti-liberation elements."
