Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said Ziaur Rahman will remain as a murderer and betrayer in the pages of history.

"Ziaur Rahman tainted the politics of Bangladesh and he started the trend of corruption and looting… Zia was one of the main perpetrators of Bangabandhu’s assassination. He also killed hundreds of soldiers of the armed forces to cling to power. For this, Zia will remain as a murderer and betrayer in history," he said.

The minister said this to reporters after addressing a function marking a photograph exhibition, titled “Bangabandhu o Rupashi Bangla Alokchithra Pradarshani o Sonmanona 2022”, jointly organized by Bangladesh Photo Journalists Association (BPJA) and the Shilpakala Academy at an auditorium of the academy.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Shilpakala Academy Director General Liakat Ali Lucky, among others, addressed the function.

Hasan said BNP did not hold the trial of Zia killing, adding that BNP was in power twice under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia, but they did not hold the trial of the killing.

Replying to a query over BNP's recent activities, the minister said they are holding meetings with different so-called parties and none know the name of those parties' general secretaries or presidents, which is ridiculous, he added.

He said the parties are nothing but only signboard-based, adding: "I do not know what will come from the meetings with those signboard-based parties except publishing news.”

The minister said a picture is stronger than a word and the photo journalists are working by taking risk. They even wait for a picture for days, said Hasan, who is also Awami League joint general secretary.

The minister hoped that the photo journalists will focus on the unprecedented development of the country under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through their photography.

Khalid said photo journalists played a pivotal role in revealing the real history of the country to the new generation by exposing various moments and incidents of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's life and works. 

They encouraged the new generation by presenting different moments of the Language Movement, 1969's uprising, the Liberation War and 1990's movement against the autocrat government, he added.

Academy Director Mini Karim, BPJA President Golam Mostafa, General Secretary Kazal Hazra and function convener Moin Uddin, among others, also addressed the function.

One hundred photographs on Bangabandhu's life and works and 100 photographs on nature will be exhibited at the weeklong exhibition.