State Minister Ishraq Hossain Criticizes 11-Party Long March in Kushtia

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraq Hossain visited the Khoksa Upazila Freedom Fighter Complex in Kushtia on September 5 and engaged in a formal exchange of views with local heroic freedom fighters. During his visit to the Khoksa Upazila in Kushtia, the state minister addressed various pressing national and regional issues, including controversial political programs and ongoing governance matters.

Following his visit to the complex, Ishraq Hossain attended a discussion meeting organized at the Khoksa Janipur Pilot High School ground to commemorate former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Several notable local figures were associated with the broader political landscape during these events, including Sohrab Uddin, Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, Alauddin Khan, and Ripon Hossain, alongside representatives from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Addressing the gathering, the state minister launched a sharp critique of the upcoming long march organized by the 11-party alliance. He stated that during a period of ongoing fuel shortages, conducting a long march that consumes a massive amount of fuel amounts to the wastage of national resources, noting that such programs would only create unnecessary suffering for the general public.

Expanding on the logistical and shifting rationales behind the opposition event, Ishraq Hossain specified that the long march is calculated to consume approximately one lakh litres of fuel. He pointed out the irony that this is happening during a national energy crisis, observing that while the initiative was initially justified due to fuel shortages, the organizers later shifted their narrative to bring forward the issue of implementing a public mandate.

Turning to broader governance and legislative developments, the state minister emphasized that the public has expressed its mandate in favor of reforms, which he noted can be effectively implemented through constitutional amendments. To facilitate this process, he highlighted that the committee concerning constitutional amendments has extended an invitation to the opposition party to participate.

Finally, addressing his own legislative responsibilities and oaths, Ishraq Hossain remarked that after taking his oath as a Member of Parliament in accordance with the constitution and existing laws, he considers an additional oath paper provided to him at the time to be unconstitutional and illegal. While acknowledging that law and constitutional experts hold various opinions on the matter, he stated that he prefers to avoid entering into that specific controversy.