The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The government has initiated the process of dropping Ziaur Rahman's name from a proposed university in Barisal.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid Tuesday tabled an amendment bill to drop Zia's name from the Shahid Ziaur Rahman University Barisal Act passed by the BNP government before its exit from power in 2006.

This is the third time the government has moved to erase Zia's name from different bodies since the Awami League came to power a year ago. If passed, the proposed university would be called just "Barisal University".

The main opposition BNP protested the bill and walked out of the House.

Moudud Ahmed, senior BNP MP, termed it a "bill of vengeance" and said his party would restore Zia's name if voted to power in the next election.

Speaker Abdul Hamid, who was chairing the session, said both sides (the Awami League and the BNP) were very eager to earn divine blessings by renaming institutions after saints.

He told the house that the BNP changed the title of Abdul Hannan Airport in Chitagong and named it after the saint Shah Amanat

Now, the Awami League has renamed Zia International Airport after Hazrat Shahjalal, he said.

"I see both sides are very keen to enjoy divine blessings," said Hamid with a laugh.

The amendment bill was later sent to parliamentary standing commitee on education ministry for further scrutiny before passage in the current session of parliament

"The Awami League in its first term initiated the process of establishing a 'Barisal University', but the BNP government proposed to name it after Zia," Nahid told the house, defending the bill.

"I have had talks with a cross-section of people and they unanimously demanded the proposed university should be named just Barisal University," Nahid said.

Moudud Ahmed, in his note of rejection, told parliament that the education minister had failed to show any justification for the bill.

"There are so many problems in the country, but the government has started the politics of erasing Shahid Zia's name," said Moudud.

"You will be here (on the opposition bench) after the next general election and we will be siting there (treasury bench).

"We will then restore Zia's name," said the former law minister.

He said the bill showed the government's "meanness".

Recently, the government replaced Zia's name from Bangladesh's main airport and renamed it the Shahjalal International Airport

The housing and public works ministry Saturday dropped Zia's name from a park adjacent to parliament building in the capital.

The BNP government during its 2001-2006 tenure renamed several government institutions like the Novo theatre and Bangadesh-China International conference centre, which were named after independence hero, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.