Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said through the 1970 general elections, the country’s people had given Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the legitimate right to proclaim the independence.

“Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had the only legitimate right to proclaim the country’s independence. Through the 1970 polls, the country’s people had given him the legitimate to proclaim the independence,” he told a discussion here.

The ruling Awami League arranged the discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre marking the 103rd birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting.

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said many people today compare the great hero of the history to the ‘footnote’ of the history but the ‘footnote’ and the great hero of the history are not the same.

“The reader of the declaration of the independence and the proclaimer of independence are not the same. There were many readers (of the declaration of the independence). Abul Kashem Sandwip and MA Hannan were also readers of the declaration in Chattogram but they were not declarers. None but Bangabandhu had the legal right to declare the independence,” he said.

The minister said the people made the party of Bangabandhu win with a huge vote margin in the 1970 elections and through it, they gave only Bangabandhu the legal right to declare the independence.

As per the right, Bangabandhu declared the independence and all should remember this, he added.

Those who distorted the history and wanted to erase the history of Bengal by killing Bangabandhu are still hatching plots, while BNP is still behind all the conspiracies, Quader said.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has turned the country into a developing one as she has reached development and electricity at the doorsteps of the people.

A vested quarter wants to make Bangladesh Pakistan again and to bring back communalism and militancy in the country, the AL general secretary said.

“We have to take an oath today on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s birthday that we will not let our dear motherland go to that death-valley again,” he said.

Quader called upon all party leaders and workers to remain united against the communal forces, saying, “We will not let our motherland become a ground of communalism. We cannot hand over this motherland to money launderers”.