BNP yesterday urged the government not to rename the under-construction Bangabir Osmani National Stadium at Fatullah In Narayanganj.

Addressing a press conference at the Jatlya Press Club, city BNP President Sadek Hossain Khoka MP said the Prime Minister and A warn 1 League chief while Inaugurating the stadium recently renamed it after Khan Shaheb Osman All. grandfather local AL MP Shamin Osman.

This is utter disrespect to General MAG Osmani. Com-mander-ln-Chlef of the Armed Forces during Liberation War and a great son of the soil. This Is also a "naked' exposition of naming things after AL men and their families.

He demanded restoration of the original name. Otherwise, freedom fighters and people wifi do It. he added.

Last year also, the AL government attempted to construct another conference centre at Osmani Uddayan in the city and planned to name It after Sheikh Mujib to undermine General Osmani. But it had to abandon the plan in the face of a mass protest, the BNP leader said.

Khoka said the AL government also tried to show that it constructed the stadium at Fatullah.

BNP government In fiscal 1994-95 took upaTk 16.26crore project to construct the Bangabir Osmani National Stadium at Fatullah and allocated Tk two crore In the same year and Tk 5.95 crore in the next fiscal. Khoka said.

He said the AL government In 1996-97. 1997-98. 1998-99 and 1999-2000 ADPs allocated Tk four crore, Tk four crore. Tk five crore and Tk 8.86 crore resoec- lively, keeping the original name.

But all of a sudden, the Prime Minister changed the name. Khoka said.

"Why do they not construct a now project and name it after Osman All?. Can Osman All be compared with General Osmani? Will freedom fighters and people accept such things? It is not wise on the part of a government to do such things nakedly."

Khoka said General Osmani was not a member of BNP but BNP government named the stadium after him to show respect to him.

Speaking at the press conference. MK Anwar MP said the AL government allocated Tk 500 crore in the last fiscal and Tk 548 crore in the current fiscal for various constructions to be named after family members of the AL chief.

Among others. BNP leaders Nolm Jahangir and Chow’dhury Alam and freedom fighters Faruqi Azam BP. Sadeq /Ahmed Khan and Mainuddin Ahmed Manik were present at the conference.