August 15, A Day Of Stigma For Nation: PM

The objective of the killers was to destroy all achievements of independence and make Bangladesh a province of Pakistan, she said at a memorial meeting organized by Bangladesh Awami League marking the National Mourning Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here yesterday.

The Prime Minister said the killers had targeted Bangabandhu for his leadership for independence of the Bengali nation. They could not accept our liberation. So they tried repeatedly to annihilate him to prevent emergence of the Bengali nation as a democratic, independent, sovereign and progressive nation.

Their evil design was unearthed soon after the killing when they declared Bangladesh as an Islamic republic, she said adding, but the betrayers were overthrown within three months thwarting their plan.

Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury presided over the meeting.

Advisory Council members of Awami League Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Presidium member of Awami League Matia Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim and advocate Sahara Khatun, general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, general secretary of Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal Dilip Barua also took part in the discussion.

Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddique attended the function as special discussant while Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor recited poems of Nirmalendu Goon on Bangabandhu.

President of Awami League Dhaka City unit M A Aziz and General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya also spoke on the occasion.

Paying her tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the great leader had led the Bengali nation in making a homeland of their own. To make this happen, she said Bangabandhu had to fight for 23 years and suffer in jail making his life endangered.

She said, after victory in 1971, Bengalis were proud of their valour and courage. But the conspirators stained the nation with the shame of a 'killing nation' through carrying out the barbaric massacre in the dreadful night of August 15, 1975.

Sheikh Hasina said the residence of Bangabandhu on Road no 32 was the center point of all movements spearheaded by Bangabandhu. For this, the killers killed him in this house along with his wife, sons, daughters-in-law, security personnel and even the domestic helps.

The Prime Minister said the killing of Bangabandhu was not aimed at perishing a person only. It was part of a long drawn conspiracy. The killers tried to kill him in 1971 and tried to hang him in the Agartala Conspiracy Case.

"It's unfortunate that Bangabandhu was killed by the people of his own country whom he loved very much and dedicated his whole life for their political and economic emancipation," the Prime Minister lamented.

Recalling the memories of August 1975, Sheikh Hasina, eldest daughter Bangabandhu, said, she along with his sister left Bangladesh for Germany only 15 days ago. After the brutal killing, she said, the rulers and later Ziaur Rahman did not allow them to return home.

The Prime Minister held Ziaur Rahman responsible for destroying the spirit of the war of liberation saying Ziaur Rahman on the one hand cleansed the armed forces of the freedom fighters and on the other went ahead with a plan to kill the Awami League leaders.

"Zia thwarted 19 coup attempts against him through killing thousands of Freedom Fighters working in the armed forces. He also rehabilitated the killers of Bangabandhu at home and abroad, making way for the anti-liberation forces to do politics," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, every night from August 15, 1975 to 1986 was under curfew. Politics was banned and people were deprived of their voting rights. Zia amended the concerned section of article 38 of the constitution to allow the anti-liberation forces in politics.

The Prime Minister said, the killers of Bangabandhu thought that they would remain outside the purview of law forever. So they were daring to declare that none would be able to bring them to justice. But, their trial was held with the support of the people, Sheikh Hasina said adding Bangabandhu loved the people of Bangladesh. So the killers could not erase his name from their hearts.

Pointing out the progress of Bangladesh in many sectors, she said "It's not acceptable to many quarters. They want to make Bangladesh a land of militancy and terrorism, a move that Ziaur Rahman had initiated," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said she is not afraid of death in going ahead with the task of materializing the dream of Bangabandhu to make a happy and prosperous nation and urged the party leaders and workers to exploit every opportunity to fulfill the dream.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)