Ashraf tears into JSD

Slating Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal for its role after the country's independence, Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said his party would have to repent for inducting a JSD member into the cabinet.

He also accused the JSD, a key component of the AL-led 14-party alliance, of making grounds for the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and creating controversy over the history of Liberation War.

Ashraf was speaking at the concluding session of a two-day extended meeting and workshop of Bangladesh Chhatra League at the TSC of Dhaka University.

"The political organisation named Jasad [JSD] is toadying us. One of them was inducted into the cabinet. It was a decision. If anyone errs while making a decision, he will have to repent throughout his entire life for the wrong decision," said Ashraf, also public administration minister.

JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu holds the portfolio of information minister in the Sheikh Hasina-led cabinet.

At the programme, Ashraf said, "Those who talk aloud about revolution can never make a revolution successful. And those who talk tall have very little courage. Imprudent people can never do a constructive work.

"Those who separated from Chhatra League after the independence came up with the theory of scientific socialism and formed Jasad [JSD]. They are 100 percent hypocrites."

Ashraf alleged that those JSD leaders tried to distort the history of the Liberation War.

"If Jasad [JSD] had not created grounds for Bangabandhu's assassination, today's Bangladesh could have been different," said the AL spokesperson.

Criticism of the JSD by ruling AL leaders for its role in the post-independence period is nothing new.

Last year, several AL leaders, including Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Bahauddin Nasim came down heavily on the JSD, and accused the party of creating grounds for Bangabandhu's assassination in 1975.

Yesterday, Ashraf advised BCL leaders and activists to learn from history and stay away from the “reckless” JSD.

He said Bangladesh is now progressing fast under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but it is not possible for her alone to implement all people-oriented development work.

The AL leader urged them to help build the “Sonar Bangla” as dreamt by Bangabandhu.

AL Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Central Working Committee members Sujit Roy Nandi and RAM Ubaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, former BCL president Mainuddin Hasan Chowdhury, former BCL general secretary Ishaque Ali Khan Panna and former BCL president Liaqat Ali Shikdar also spoke.