Bangladesh will remain a country of freedom fighters, not the war criminals: HPM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the countrymen to stay alert against anti-liberation forces' return to power so Bangladesh remained as the country of freedom fighters. 

"We got independence of the country in exchange for blood of three million martyrs . . . this independence must not go in vain," she told a discussion on the occasion of the 48th Independence and the National Day.

Sheikh Hasina simultaneously sought countrymen's vigilance against those who were trying to stage a comeback upsetting the spirit of independence.

"Bangladesh will never be a country of anti-liberation forces, the militants or war criminals . . . it is to remain as a country of freedom fighters and those who believe in the spirit of independence," she said.

Awami League (AL) organized the discussion in Krishibid Institution auditorium where Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said her party in government was building the country with the spirit of the independence.

The party's advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain and Syed Ashraful Islam, organizing secretary AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, central committee member SM Kamal Hossain and president of its Dhaka North unit AKM Rahamatullah spoke on the occasion.

National University vice-chancellor Professor Harun-or-Rashid and dean of the Social Science Faculty of Dhaka University Professor Sadeka Halim addressed the discussion, moderated by AL publicity and publication secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and deputy publicity and publication secretary Aminul islam Amin.

The premier reiterated her government's stern stance against corruption saying "we don't indulge in corruption".

"This is not an empty talk, rather it's recognised internationally," Sheikh Hasina said in an apparent reference to Bangladesh's elevated status in the international graft index.

The premier said the past BNP government made Bangladesh champions in graft for five times "but our only work is to brighten the image of the country and ensure a better life of the people".

The prime minister said during his entire life Bangabandhu struggled and eventually liberated the country to bring smiles on faces of the common people.

"We are working to reach the fruits of independence to every house... money and property don't exist forever and nobody leaves the world taking this money or property with him or her," she said.

Quoting Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina said a politician's responsibility is to work for the people and "I think, as a daughter of the Father of the Nation, it's my responsibility to work in that way".

The premier said: "We don't work for changing our own fate, we want that the people become resourceful and get a beautiful life...there will not be a single person to remain homeless and hungry and die of without treatment."

She said the construction of the Padma Bridge was a challenge for her government and an anti-government conspiracy exposed her government to this undue difficult challenge, attributing it to a "gentleman, who won many prizes in the world".

Without naming the person, she said he was the man who got stopped the World Bank funding for the bridge by lobbying in the USA as he could not check his greed for the post of MD of a small bank.

The premier said the BNP during its rule tried to implicate her and her children and sister in corruption charge by hiring a special agency, but they did not find anything.

"And this (ex-) MD also tried to implicate her involving US investigators and not finding anything...he instigated the World Bank to stop financing and a case was filed with Canada Federal court which said the all allegations are fake," she said.

The prime minister said the aim of her government is to develop the country from the grassroots level.

"We started the uplift from villages as Bangabandhu used to love the rural people and sacrificed his life for them...there will not be a single house to be dark. We will illuminate every house," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the country is witnessing the impressive development as her government is working with this goal and principle.

The prime minister said those were in power after 1975 thought themselves as higher class people and those who supported them also thought in that way.

"But the people of the country got nothing and some people accumulated wealth," she said, adding that the culture of loan default and corruption commenced during the rule of Zia.

And, she said, this continued during the rule of Ershad and Khaleda Zia. "They were busy with changing their own fate and leading a luxurious life...they did not look at the people of the country," she said.

About Khaleda Zia's conviction in the Zia Orphanage Trust case, the prime minister said the court gave judgment against her. "We didn't make anything in this regard...we could have arrested her (Khaleda Zia) when the BNP unleashed arson attacks," she said.

She said the BNP does not abide by the court, constitution and anything. "They made willfulness when they were in power and now they want to make that willfulness...they also killed people when they were in power and now they want to kill the people...it's their aim," she added.

Recalling the 23-year struggle of Bangabandhu for the independence of the country, she said the Father of the Nation wanted to free the country's people from deprivation.

"Bangabandhu suffered jail year after year and always uttered for the welfare of the people," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu was sure about the victory of Bangladesh and he had fixed all things, including the national anthem and national flag. "He (Bangabandhu) also outlined how the country would be run during the liberation war," she said.