Tarique Rahman Apologizes to Former SSF Chief Fatemi Rumi

BNP's Acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, offered an apology to former Special Security Force (SSF) Director General Major General (Retd) Fatemi Rumi during a virtual views-exchange meeting with retired armed forces members. The apology, made last night (December 9) from London, concerned a "rude" reaction Tarique had towards Fatemi Rumi during a political march years ago.

Tarique Rahman publicly apologized to Fatemi Rumi for a rude reaction during a march from Old Dhaka to Aminbazar, an event his mother, Begum Khaleda Zia, also attended. Tarique mentioned trying to reach Rumi previously without success.

The apology came at the end of Tarique's speech during a views-exchange meeting with 101 retired officials from the army, navy, and air force. The meeting was held at the BNP chairperson's political office in Gulshan, presided over by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Tarique highlighted his mother, Khaleda Zia's, strong affinity for the armed forces, citing her last public event attendance at the Armed Forces Day reception despite illness.

Tarique claimed that a "negative perception" was deliberately cultivated about BNP, Ziaur Rahman, and Khaleda Zia during a "past autocratic regime" to create distance between the party and the military. He expressed his belief that this misconception had been cleared by the event.