Ban on Sheikh Hasina's speech cannot stop people from hearing it: Rumina Farhana

Everyone has media in their hands, and those who wish to listen to Sheikh Hasina's speeches can do so, said Rumina Farhana, Member of Parliament for Brahmanbaria-2 constituency.

She made this remark while responding to journalists' questions after a reception and discussion meeting organised by the Sarail upazila administration to mark the July Mass Uprising Day at the Sarail Upazila Parishad auditorium on Wednesday, August 5.

Regarding the ban on broadcasting Sheikh Hasina's speeches, Rumina Farhana said the media is not just 26 television channels. These days, everyone has media in their hands. Those who want to listen, can listen. This way, no one's speech can be stopped from being broadcast. We saw during Sheikh Hasina's time that Tarique Rahman's speeches were banned from broadcast. It was banned by court order. If that was not democracy, then how is this democracy?

She said, "She (Sheikh Hasina) is a citizen of Bangladesh. Her family has a long-standing contribution to Bangladesh's politics. Her family was killed en masse. At the time of Bangladesh's Liberation War, the Awami League was the only party. Considering everything, she is also advanced in age. If she does not return to Bangladesh, what will become of her party's situation or her long political history? Considering everything, my common sense tells me she will return."

Regarding yesterday's clashes between JCD and Shibir, Rumina Farhana said this indicates the fragile state of law and order in the country. It indicates that the parties have no control over their student wings, and that in the end, we are returning to the old politics.

Meanwhile, local BNP boycotted the upazila administration's programme for making Rumina Farhana the chief guest. On this, Rumina Farhana said, "BNP has to accept the fact that people voted me as MP. BNP must accept this hard truth."

The discussion meeting was presided over by Sarail Upazila Executive Officer Md Saiful Islam. Among those who spoke were Sarail upazila Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Enam Khan, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Mohammad Nizam Uddin, and Sarail Police Station Officer-in-Charge Manjur Kader Bhuiyan.

The families of those martyred and injured in the July Mass Uprising were honoured at the event.