Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday said those who distorted history and tried to erase it would gradually be wiped out from the pages of history.
“This is a lesson of the history,” he said while inaugurating the day-long exhibition of the book ‘Muktir Dak’ (the call for freedom) at Jatiya Press Club (JPC) here.
Hasan, also the Awami League joint general secretary, said BNP has given a notion that they, like Pakistanis, didn’t understand Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech, though the entire Bengali nation realized its essence.
“We hoped that BNP will organise a programme on the day of birth centenary of Bangabandhu. But they won’t do so … they only celebrate the fake birthday of Begum Khaleda Zia on August 15, the day when Bangabandhu and most of his family members were assassinated brutally.”
“I hope that the party (BNP) will come out of those mistakes as well as accept the truth and history during simultaneous celebration of the golden jubilee of independence and the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation,” he said.
The minister also said the people hoped that the BNP will seek apology from the nation for celebrating fake birthday of Begum Khaleda Zia on August 15. “But they’ve failed to take this opportunity,” he said
Hasan paid tributes to those who recorded video of the historic March 7 speech.
The minister said the then East Pakistan television didn’t take footage of the speech on that day. “But, the Department of Films and Publications (DFP) videoed the historic speech,” he said. Hasan said the DFP personnel hid the video at secretariat and later it (video) was kept at Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital, adding finally the video was kept preserved in India.
The minister extended heartfelt gratitude to the DFP personnel for their great job.
Editor of the book, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University and Chairman of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Board of Directors Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, one of the photographers of March 7 speech Rafiqur Rahman, JPC President Farida Yeasmin, Awami Swechchhasebak League President Nirmal Guha and General Secretary Afzalur Rahman Babu and publisher of the book Yeasmin Kabir Joy, among others, were present on the occasion.
