Name of Ziaur Rahman, founder of BNP, was removed from a road at Baltimore city in USA after the authority had decided not to honour him by naming the road after a military ruler.
A road at Baltimore in Maryland was named after Ziaur Rahman at the behest of BNP wing of the city three months ago. It sparked a sharp reaction among expatriate Awami League, their family members and other pro-liberation people.
Leaders and activists of Awami League and their family members in the city were engaged in a protest against naming the road after Ziaur Rahman who was allegedly one of the masterminds of the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members.
Following a petition by expatriate Awami Leaguers, Brandon M. Scott, mayor of Baltimore, asked for documents and materials to substantiate their grievance.
Awami League leaders submitted various documents collected from Bangladesh along with signatures of more than 500 people to the mayoral office.
After a virtual hearing on the petition, the city authorities scrapped name of Zia from the road on September 9.
Petitioners argued that Gen Zia was a military dictator who came to power through a bloody Coup d'état and he should not be recognised by the great country of America.
AL leaders pointed out that Zia was the first military ruler of Bangladesh underlining democracy while the US is a democratic country.
The AL leaders also said the Mayor office made it clear that they would not honour a military dictator by naming a road after him.
Mayor of the city passed an order to remove the name of Zia from the road and staffs of the city department of transport carried out the order instantly.
Later, expatriate AL leaders confirmed the development at a press conference.
Engineer Mohamnad Ali Siddiqui and Dr Prodeep Ranjan Kar, who played a pivotal role from the outset, briefed the media, among others.
Other expatriate leaders who played important role are-Shamim Chowdhury, Advocate Shah Bakhtiar, Manjur Chowdhury, MA Karim Jahangir, Sadekul Badruzzaman Panna, Sharif Kamrul Alam Hira, Faruk Hossain, Kaikobad Khan, and Khandker Zahidul Islam.
Former Supreme Court Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Prof Mohammad A Arafat were also connected to the virtual hearing from Bangladesh.
Awami League leaders said they are grateful to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Prime Minister’s ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, high officials of Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC Brig Gen Habib, Dewan Ashraf, press minister of Permanent Mission in New York Noorelahi Mina for the success.
BDST: 1137 HRS, SEP 11, 2021
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