General Zia Would Have Been Accused Of The Bangabandhu Murder Case: PM

"After the tragic assassination of Bangabandhu, the politics of killing, coup, conspiracy and grabbing power illegally had begun in the country. And General Ziaur Rahman was the mastermind of such kind of politics," she said.

"General Zia had a link with the killing of Bangabandhu and he must have made an accused in the gruesome murder had he been alive," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League chief, said this while delivering her introductory speech at a joint meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee, AL Advisory Council and AL Parliamentary Party at her official Ganobhaban residence here this evening.

The Prime Minister said through the killing of Bangabandhu and the four national leaders, conspiracies were hatched to turn Bangladesh into a subservient state of the anti-liberation forces.

"Khandakar Moshtaque, who murdered Bangabandhu, appointed General Zia as the army chief. General Zia used to like Moshtaque and it means that Zia had a link with the killing of Bangabandhu," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Khandakar Moshtaque could not stay in power more than two and a half months due to the conspiracies of Zia. "The "monafeq" (betrayer) usually experiences such consequence," she said referring the fate of Meer Zafar.

The Prime Minister said General Zia became president by removing Justice ASM Sayem from the post of president at gun point as he (Zia) mentioned that Sayem was sick. "Though Justice Sayem did not want to resign, he at last quit power in the face of intense pressure from Zia, who became president later," she said.

She said 19 coups took place during the misrule of General Zia and hundreds of officers and soldiers of army, navy and air force were killed in those coups. Besides, thousands of Awami League leaders and workers were thrown into the jail during the period, she said.

Trashing the BNP's claim that General Zia had restored democracy in the country, the Prime Minister said in fact Zia had imposed "curfew democracy" instead of people's democracy. "He had introduced curfew for the whole night which lasted till the withdrawal of martial law in 1986," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Zia had taken the country to the edge of destruction and distorted the glorious history of the Liberation War. "He also introduced loan defaulting culture, handed over arms to the students and polluted the society and he wanted to prolonged his power by unleashing atrocities on the opposition," she said.

The Prime Minister said Awami League does politics from its commitment and obligation to the nation and its people. "Our policy is to establish Bangladesh as a dignified nation on the world stage by making it self-reliant in all sectors and reaching the fruits of independence to the doorsteps of the people," she said.

She said no other government except Awami League made such development that took place in the last five years. Those who grab power illegally have no responsibilities for the people, she said.

Citing the five-year misrule of BNP-Jamaat alliance government, the Prime Minister said the country had become a safe haven for corruption, terrorism and militancy during their five- year rule.

"Bangladesh was turned into a failed state at that time due to their unbridled terrorism and corruption," she said, adding they had destroyed all institutions one after another.

The Prime Minister said the people of the country heaved a sigh of relief after assuming office by the Awami League government in 2009.

"The people can now go to their workplace without trouble and the businessmen can do business without paying any commission to any Bhaban like "Hawa Bhaban", she said, adding the people are also enjoying full freedom of speech.

Taking a swipe at some people who are differing that the country won't achieve over six percent growth rate this fiscal, she said that persons always walk on the reversed way and they don't like the government success. "It cannot happen and it is not possible as it does not match with their thinking as they were at the take care of the caretaker government," she said.

"They don't feel comfort when the people stay in good and they always ready with suited and booted for the time when the undemocratic and unconstitutional government will grab power," she said, adding that their demand increases at that time.

Blasting BNP-Jamaat nexus for unleashing destructive acts in the name of movement to foil the January 5 elections, Sheikh Hasina said they have burnt to death 150 people in the name of so-called movement .

She said bus, CNG and truck drivers were killed as the terrorists of BNP-Jamaat torched their vehicles. Schoolgoing children, even innocent cow could not escape from their wrath, she said.

"They do politics in the name of Islam, but they burnt thousands of copies of the holy Quran," she said, posing a question that what type of Islam they believe.

The Prime Minister said the January 5 elections were held and 40 percent people caste vote in the polls as the administration, police, army, BGB-- all were united.

Sheikh Hasina once again said the BNP did not take part in the elections as its staunch ally Jamaat could not participate in the polls due to a court order.

In reply to criticism of some quarters about the uncontested elections of huge number of candidates in the January 5 polls, the Awami League chief said the person who was elected uncontested in the by-election in 1970 and 1973 from the vacant seats of Bangabandhu has become vocal against the uncontested elections.

Referring to much-awaited Padma Bridge, the Prime Minister said there was a big conspiracy to foil the construction of the bridge.

She said her government already started construction of the bridge from its own funding defying all obstacles and conspiracies against the government and her family. "The conspirators were not successful, rather we have become successful as we started the work of the bridge by the grace of Almighty Allah," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government wants that Bangladesh does not become dependence on others. "We do not want to beg from anybody, we want self-reliant," she said.

The Prime Minister in her speech also described various success of her government in various sectors and said the country achieved tremendous progress and development in education, power, health, ICT and infrastructure as well as in poverty reduction in the last five years.

"Over 62 percent people are now getting electricity while the generation capacity has been reached to 11,700 MW," she said.

She said the outlook of the capital Dhaka as well as other city corporations has been changed following the implementation of massive development works by her government.

The Awami League President directed the MPs, leaders and workers of her party to work together in earning trust and love of the people through their works and project the stunning achievements of her government before them.

She hoped that Bangladesh would be a middle income and a peaceful country in South Asia by earlier than 2021 and a developed one by before 2041.

Senior Awami League leaders including Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Syed Ashraful Islam, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Nooh-Ul-Alam Lenin and Advocate Sahara Khatun were present, among others.

- Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)