Pabna, Mar 26 (V7N) – A ceremony honoring freedom fighters in Pabna turned chaotic after Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the BNP and former president, was referred to as the "Great Proclaimer of Independence." Members of the Awami League-aligned freedom fighters raised slogans of "fake, fake," leading to a disruptive scene during the event.
 
The incident occurred on March 26 at the Pabna Shilpakala Academy, where the Pabna District Administration held an event in celebration of Independence Day. Advocate Maksudur Rahman Masud Khandkar, the district BNP secretary, was delivering a speech when he called Ziaur Rahman the "Great Proclaimer of Independence."
 
This statement sparked immediate protests from a section of freedom fighters aligned with the Awami League, who began chanting slogans of "fake, fake." The protests escalated to the point where Khandkar left the stage before completing his speech, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense. The event was attended by various political and administrative figures, including Pabna District Commissioner Mohammad Mofizul Islam and Pabna Police Superintendent Murtaza Ali Khan.
 
In response to the controversy, Advocate Maksudur Rahman Masud Khandkar stated, “The event was a ceremony to honor the freedom fighters, but some people linked to the fallen government infiltrated the program. They tried to disrupt the event, but their plans were thwarted by the intervention of the general freedom fighters, and the program concluded smoothly."
 
While he did not comment further on the dispute, Pabna District Commissioner Mohammad Mofizul Islam mentioned, "I can't speak definitively on this matter, but one of the BNP leaders was speaking, and during his speech, a few people interrupted, saying he couldn’t deliver the statement. However, the event ended normally."
 
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