With people’s blessings, we will reach our goal: HPM Sheikh Hasina

"I have been observing the conspiracies from my childhood ... I don't care it. I believe that as long as the almighty Allah, the people and the blessings of my parents remain with me, we could reach our desired goal," she said.

The prime minister said this when leaders of Bangladesh Awami League and its associate bodies came to Ganobhaban, the official residence of the PM, this morning to greet her on the occasion of Sheikh Hasina's 37th homecoming day.

On this day in 1981, Sheikh Hasina returned home after six years in exile following the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation and the architect of independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15 in 1975.

Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana escaped the carnage as they were in Germany at that time.

Earlier, the leaders of Bangladesh Awami League and its associate bodies greeted the prime minister by presenting bouquets and chanting slogans on the occasion of the Homecoming Day.

The prime minister said all have the responsibility for letting know the real history of the country to the people and putting Bangladesh on a dignified position in the world.

Quoting Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina said the beggar's nation has no dignity. "We would stand our own feet and move with own dignity and raising head on the world stage ... it's our aim," she said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh is now a role model of development at the international level. "Bangladesh was once recognised as a beggar's country but we have been shifted from that position by making stunning socio- economic development and we've to keep up it," she said.

Recalling her Homecoming Day on May 17 in 1981, Sheikh Hasina said she returned home on a rainy and stormy day when thousands of people braving the inclement weather assembled at the airport to welcome her.

"When I returned home I didn't have any asset except the courage and inspiration of the Awami League leaders and workers," she said.

"When I returned home, there was a flood of millions of people and there was love for me. But my most beloved persons whose love I expected most were not there," she said referring to the killing of Bangabandhu and others who were assassinated on the fateful night of August 15.

The premier said she returned home in 1981 for ensuring the rights of the people to vote and food. After losing all near and dear ones, I came to the country only for the love of people and building a hunger and poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu.

Sheikh Hasina said some leaders of Awami League and members of the then cabinet including Khondoker Mostaque and some others were involved in the conspiracy to kill Bangabandhu.

"Ghorer Shotrui Bibhison (the enemy of the house is the biggest enemies)... until one's own people betray, then the outsiders won't get any chance to cause any harm," she said

She said that those who were involved in the Bangabandhu killing like Major Dalim along with his wife, mother in law, sister in law often spent their time or even stayed round the clock at the Dhanmondi 32 house.

"If we could see in this way, not people from far away, rather the closer ones hatched conspiracy and Ziaur Rahman was also involved in that," she said.

The premier mentioned that Bangabandhu had resolved the family problem of Zia and created a post for him and appointed Zia there.

She went on saying, "Zia along with her wife (Khaleda Zia) used to go to the Dhanmondi 32 House in almost every week. There was no warmth among them and their goal was only to hatch conspiracy which we couldn't perceive as we're always very open minded."

Sheikh Hasina said that the motive behind the August 15 killing was to change fully the history of Bangladesh, play ducks and drakes with the fate of the country's people and thus making meaningless the victory of the War of Liberation.

She said that even Khondoker Mostaque could not stay long in power saying, after grabbing power, Mostaque made Ziaur Rahman the army chief which indicated that he was also involved in the killing.

"This is clear that Zia was the most loyal to Mostaque and later Zia

announced himself the President and the Army Chief simultaneously through violating the constitution," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that it was Ziaur Rahman who didn't allow her (Sheikh Hasina) and Sheikh Rehana in Bangladesh. "Zia even not allowed Rehana to renew her passport," she said.

The prime minister also criiticised the role of Dr Kamal Hossain after the August 15 carnage.

Referring to the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with most of his family members on August 15, 1975, Sheikh Hasina said she and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana went abroad for a short-time, but that 'black day' of 1975 snatched away everything from their life as well as snatched away the voting rights of country's people.

The emotion-choked premier said the Father of the Nation had devoted his entire life towards changing the fate of country's people alongside bringing the long-cherished independence before the nation.

"But he (Bangabandhu) was killed in our independent country which he had never believed that such incident could take place although many had warned him," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that incident of killing the President or Prime Minister for grabbing power happened in many countries of the world. But the killing of all of the family members of a great leader in a day, perhaps did not take place," she said.