No children should have the fate of Sheikh Russell: PM Sheikh Hasina

" I have lost my brother Russell in a tender age. So I wish safe life of every child and an atmosphere where they would be able to grow them up properly,"she said at a function on birthday of Sheikh Russell, youngest son of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sheikh Hasina, eldest sister of Russell said, “ the killers demonstrated their aberrant cruelty when torn up the body of minor Russell with bullets. Now I try to find him out in the face of children and think how he would look if he was alive."

Sheikh Hasina said her government is striving to build a country where every child would get safe life and have opportunity to build up their future in a congenial atmosphere.

Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad organized the programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre marking 51st birthday of Sheikh Russell. Founding president of the organization Raqibur Rahman was in the chair while advisors of the organization Towfique-e-Elahi Chowdhury Bir Bikram and Sirajul Islam Mollah, MP, and secretary general Mahmudus Samad Chowdhury, MP and member of the Parishad Atiqa Saiyara, spoke among others, on the occasion.

The Prime Minister distributed prizes among the winners of different sports and cultural competitions on the occasion and later enjoyed a cultural programme performed by the members of the parishad.

Urging the children to devote their life in studies she said education should be pursued attentively. “As well, you have to actively take part in extra academic activities, sports and cultural activities to grow up as a healthy and worthy citizen,” she said.

She called upon the children to remain careful about emergence of militancy, terrorism and drug abuse saying Bangladesh as an independent nation would surely reach to a dignified position amid the global comity.

Sheikh Hasina said today's children will lead the country in future. “So the government has taken various measures to build them up to sustain in global race. Children must grow up as worthy citizen to uphold the dignity of Bangladesh in future,” she said.

Recalling her memories with Russell the Prime Minister said they were very happy with their youngest brother when he was born during a very volatile time of their family and nation.

"He (Russell) was born enlightening our house before one and a half years of announcement of the historic six-point demand. My father was in jail most of the time after his birth. Russell enjoyed my father's affection only after independence,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said we used to take Russell with us in prison to see my father. “Minor Russell could feel the situation but unable to speak as he could not know how to talk," she said adding that Russell could understand that prison was the home of my father.

After independence, Sheikh Hasina said, “Russell used to move around Bangabandhu as he was scared about his father. Finally he also made his eternal journey with my father."

Sheikh Hasin said the assailants killed many children in the fateful night of August 15, 1975 and they passed a law giving indemnity to the killers. Awami League government scrapped the law bringing all killers to the court of justice after 21 years.

Expressing her government's firm commitment to stop such brutality in future Sheikh Hasina said her government has enacted law to protect the rights of children and stop abuses on them.

In this regard she also pointed out her government's initiative to bring the war criminals to justice saying the war criminals are responsible for killing of women, children, youths and they were cohorts of the killers of 1975. So trial of the killers of 1971 and 1975 are inclusive, she said.

The Prime Minister reiterated her call to everybody to remain careful about cruelty on domestic helps saying the perpetrators of such acts would get exemplary punishment. Everybody should give attention to stop such violence, she said. She also urged the children to take care of the children around their surroundings who are suffering from physical and mental disorder.

Highlighting the steps taken by her government for development of education the Prime Minister said Bangabandhu made the primary education and female education up to secondary level free of cost.

We are following the footprint of Bangabandhu and taking steps to ensure education for every child, she said.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol