Russel killing a loathsome crime in civilisation’s history: Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today called the killing of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, an abominable crime in the human civilisation's history.

"The assassination of Sheikh Russel is one of the despicable crimes in the history of human civilisation. Women and children were not targeted at any political killing in the history of civilisation…but women and hildren have fallen prey to political killing in Bangladesh," he said.

He said in choked voices, even, 10-year-old Russel did not escape the political killing as he along with most of the family members, including his father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was brutally killed on August 15, 1975.

He was talking to reporters after placing a wreath on the grave of Shaheed Sheikh Russel on the occasion of his 56th birthday.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Awami League (AL) presidium member Matia Chowdhury, AL joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for Shipping Khalid ahmud Chowdhury, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem, AL office secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, general secretary of AL Dhaka City South Unit Shahe Alam Murad, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote general secretary Arun Sarkar Rana, actress Nutan and singer Rafiqul Alam were, among others, present.

Heavily came down on BNP, Quader said raising allegation is a disease of BNP and it has nothing to do anything without it. "We hope that BNP would come back to positive and people-centric politics, leaving the practices of raising allegation," he added.

The AL general secretary said BNP is carrying out propaganda against the government and despite being a responsible opposition party, it is conducting irresponsible activities.

"After being failure in elections and waging movement, now they (BNP leaders) are looking for new issues. They find politics in all issues," he said.

After safe road and quota reform movements, Quader said, BNP was trying to find an issue in Abrar killing. But people would not respond to its politics of finding new issues, he added.