Movement With Intellectual Killers Won't Be Successful: PM

"Khaleda Zia is threatening to wage a movement in the victory month. But their movement with the killers of illustrious sons of the soil to protect 1971 culprits won't be successful," she said, adding the people would foil their evil design like the past.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League President, said this while addressing a discussion on the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

Bangladesh Awami League arranged the discussion at Bangladesh Krishibid Institution at Khamarbari in the capital.

Deputy Leader of the House and Senior Presidium Member of the party Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury chaired the discussion.

It was addressed, among others, by AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Suarnjit Sengupta, Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury and Advocate Sahara Khatun, Joint Secretaries Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Organizing Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Food Minister Advocate Qamrul Islam, Dhaka City AL Acting President MA Aziz and General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdury Maya.

Son of martyred journalist Sirajuddin Hossain and daughter of martyred Dr Alim Chowdhury Nuzhat Alim Chowdhury reminisced the memories of their fathers which touched the hearts of the audience.

The Prime Minister came down heavily on the BNP leader for addressing a meeting in Narayanganj on Saturday with the leaders of Al Badr and Razakar.

"How did she address the meeting on December 13, the day before of the Martyred Intellectuals Day, with Al-Badr, Rajakar and Jamaat-e-Islami from the same dais?" she posed a question.

Sheikh Hasina said it was Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who were with Khaleda Zia on the dais and there were festoons, banners and balloons inscribed with the pictures of war criminals as well as Razkar and Al-Badr chiefs at the meeting.

She said the meeting was arranged to protect war criminals and killers of the intellectuals. "From the meeting, Khaleda Zia also wished falling down curses (Gajab Nazil) on me to save war criminals," she said.

She said, "Shokuner Dowae Goru More Na (a cow won't die because of a vulture’s praying). "If it happens then a single cow won't remain alive," she said, adding there are some vultures in the country who want to save war criminals and destroy the country.

In this connection, the Prime Minister asserted that the verdict of the war criminals is being pronounced and executed. "Insha Allah all verdicts would be implemented to free the country from stigma," she said.

The Prime Minister also called upon the countrymen to remain alert so that the collaborators of Pakistan never come to state power, kill the people and play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people.

She also urged the countrymen to take a fresh vow to advance the country further to materialize the dream of the martyred intellectuals.

"We will have to take a fresh vow to build a hunger-and-poverty-free Bangladesh for which the illustrious sons of the soil embraced martyrdom in 1971," she said.

Blasting Khaleda Zia for her ill efforts to put blame on the Awami League government for BDR carnage, the Prime Minister said it was BNP which wanted to protect the culprits of BDR mutiny and patronized the accused of the barbaric killings.

She said Khaleda Zia went underground before one and a half hours of the BDR mutiny. "As the opposition leader, she used to get police protection, security and car at that time. But why did she go into hiding without these facilities," she said.

The Prime Minister said Khaleda wants to put blame on Awami League and the present government. But it is the reality that 37 martyred army officers including BDR director general were from Awami League families.

Sheikh Hasina said everybody had come forward at that bad time to cooperate with the government. "Fourteen-party, even HM Ershad had stood beside the government, but where was Khaleda Zia at that time?" she said. "Khaleda Zia will have to give reply to the people."

She said the BNP leader did not cooperate with the government at that time, rather her party lawyers defended the accused in the BDR massacre. ". . . why didn't she extend support to the trial of the accused?" the PM said.

"Had the BNP-Jamaat not been involved in this carnage why their lawyers stood in the court to defend the killers?" she said.

The Prime Minister said she enquired about everything of the lawyers. "Where was the source of income of that lawyers, how did they get so much money," she said.

She said BNP leader and her partymen were involved in delaying the trial and protecting the killers. "They wanted to save the killers by delaying the trial," she alleged.

Sheikh Hasina said BNP-Jammat have taken a side with war criminals and killers of 15th August. "Like that they also took a side to protect the killers of BDR carnage," she said.

The Prime Minister said it is the character of BNP to unleash killing and bombing. "During their five-year misrule, they killed Ahsanullah Master, Shah AMS Kibria, Momtazuddin of Natore and Monjurul Imam in Khulna," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said BNP-Jamaat terrorists conducted a reign of killing, pushed the country toward darkness and made Bangladesh a failed state.

She said they carried out massacre the way the Pakistani occupation forces unleashed in 1971.

"Hindus, Muslims, Christians-- none could escape the heinous crime of BNP-Jamaat," she said, adding whenever BNP-Jamaat nexus comes to state power, they play with the killing and blood.

Spelling out her government's stunning success in different fields including agriculture, education, health, economy, electricity and poverty, the Prime Minister said the country is moving forward fast and it would advance further.

"The aim of our government is to build a hunger, poverty and illiteracy-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu," she said, seeking cooperation from all to achieve the goal.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)