BNP Chairperson’s adviser and former opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque has claimed that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not want Bangladesh’s independence but instead aimed to become Pakistan’s prime minister. Speaking at a rally organized by the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal in Senbagh, Noakhali, Farroque said that when student leaders urged Mujib to declare independence, he refused, fearing a treason case. He asserted that it was Ziaur Rahman who first declared Bangladesh’s independence. Farroque also criticized current political maneuvering over election participation and urged BNP activists to remain united under Tarique Rahman’s leadership. He pledged that if BNP wins, Tarique Rahman would become prime minister and create employment for one crore people. Farroque further emphasized party loyalty, urging supporters to vote for the BNP’s ‘sheaf of paddy’ symbol regardless of personal preferences.