Dhaka: Protesting the Prime Minister’s recent remark that BNP is an illegal party, its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said Awami League is also an illegitimate party if BNP so.

‘Awami League had been banned through establishing Baksal in 1975. There was no party name Awami League at that time. BNP and Awami League were registered after late president Ziaur Rahman had initiated multiparty democracy. If BNP is illegal so is Awami League,’ he said.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said questioning the legality of BNP is an irrelevant and unnecessary issue.

He also said Awami League not only got registered during Zia’s rule, but also participated in all elections, including the 1979 one, at that time, reports UNB.

Earlier on Monday, addressing a public rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the High Court declared Zia's martial law government illegal. ‘As Zia's rule was declared illegal then the BNP founded by Zia also turned illegal.’

The BNP leader said the Prime Minister’s comment over BNP’s legality is nothing but political rhetoric. ‘She’s making such remarks only to divert people’s attention to a different direction from the main problem.’

He also said the ruling party leaders often make absurd remarks about BNP’s relation with the Liberation War. ‘BNP is a party founded by a freedom fighter like Ziaur Rahman. We doubt whether Awami has so many freedom fighters what we (BNP) have.’

Mentioning that democracy was the main spirit of the Liberation War, Fakhrul said the Awami League government has destroyed it. ‘We’re on a struggle for restoration of democracy while Awami League is trying to establish a one-party rule obliterating democracy.’