<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had acted as 'a collaborator of Pakistan' in disguise of freedom fighter.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"BNP founder Ziaur Rahman actually was an accomplice of Pakistani occupation force impersonating freedom fighter", he said while paying homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the Independence Day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The information minister exchanged views with journalists after paying tributes to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait at Dhanmondi road-32 here with other party leaders on the occasion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">About BNP's different statements on Ziaur Rahman, Dr Hasan, also joint general secretary of the ruling Awami League, said Zia was an employee under the first government of Bangladesh that had taken oath at Mujibnagar in Meherpur and conducted the liberation war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also referred to indiscriminate torture on Bangalees committed by the Pakistani occupation forces during the liberation war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The minister said, "The Pakistani forces killed those people, burnt down their houses and tortured them whom they found providing assistance to the freedom fighters".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"But, how it is possible that when Zia was in battle field, then his wife Khaleda Zia was safe under the Pakistan forces' custody? It proved that Zia was 'spy' of Pakistan in disguise of freedom fighter," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The minister also said the BNP was involved in distorting history for long twenty-one years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"But, when the history distortion was resisted, then they (BNP leaders) are out of sense. That's why; BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul are now talking nonsense," he added. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>