BNP was born through murders and conspiracies: HPM Sheikh Hasina

Terming BNP as a “party of killers”, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the party was born through murders and conspiracies.

“The founder of BNP was a killer and he floated the party with those who were involved in murders … there is nothing to defend it,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League (AL) president, was addressing a discussion as the chief guest at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Friday afternoon.

Dhaka city north and Dhaka city south units Awami League jointly organised the discussion on the occasion of the National Mourning Day.

The prime minister said the party which handed over the blood-stained national flag to the killers is nothing but a party of murderers.

“They were born through killing and their character is not changed even to some extent,” she said.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader was present at the discussion as the special guest, while Dhaka City North AL President AKM Rahmatullah, MP, presided over it.

Dhaka City South AL President Alhaz Abul Hasnat, Dhaka North City AL General Secretary Alhaz Sadek Khan, City South AL General Secretary Sahe Alam Murad, Dhaka City North AL Vice-President Jahanara Begum, Dhaka South City AL Vice-President Abu Ahmed Mannafi, Dhaka City North Joint Secretary SM Mannan Kachi and Dhaka South AL Joint Secretary Kamal Chowdhury also spoke at the discussion, among others.

Sheikh Hasina said British MP Sir Thomas William wanted to visit Bangladesh to probe the Bangabandhu killing.

“But Ziaur Rahman didn’t allow him to visit Bangladesh … If Ziaur Rahman was not the killer and the BNP was not a party of murderers, why they didn’t issue visa to the British lawmaker?,” she questioned.

The AL president said the BNP leaders should know that their party made the country’s politics toxic.

“The BNP had unleashed a reign of murders in the country where once politics was pursued on the basis of an ideology,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said after becoming the prime minister, Khaleda Zia had rewarded the killers of Bangabandhu and four national leaders following the footprint of her husband and military dictator Ziaur Rahman.

The prime minister said killing, torture and bomb-blasts had started during the rule of Ziaur Rahman. It was Ziaur Rahman who rewarded Bangabandhu’s killers by giving them jobs to Bangladesh missions abroad, she said.

“Many countries including Poland didn’t accept them as they were murderers,” she said.

She said the BNP’s founder destroyed the congenial atmosphere on the campus by handing over arms to the students.

The prime minister said Ziaur Rahman stopped the trial of war criminals and released them from the jail. “Zia made identified war criminals like Shah Aziz, Abdul Alim and Maulana Mannan ministers … he rewarded Bangabandhu’s killers one hand, while rehabilitated the war criminals socially and politically on other hand,” she said.

She continued: “The culture of killing, forced disappearance and loan default started during his rule.”

Sheikh Hasina said those who were involved in killing of Bangabandhu and those who were engaged in the plot had joined hands with Ziaur Rahman and Khandakar Moshtaque. “Many of them remain alive and they still talk tall,” she said.

The prime minister said both Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia had made ministers those who formed Al Badar, Al Shams and Razakar forces and those involved in the killing of intellectuals.

She said the BNP after coming to power in 2001 followed that process through which the Pakistani occupation forces carried out massacre in 1971.

“The BNP created militancy and terrorism and patronised the killers, smugglers and money launderers… they took the country to the path of ruination and there were no misdeeds they didn’t unleash,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said General Ershad also rewarded and patronized the killers of Bangabandhu in various ways.

She said those who grabbed power after 1975 patronized the killers and stalled the country’s development. “As a result, the lot of the people was not changed for 29 years. But it changed when the Awami League founded by Bangabandhu came to power,” she said.

The AL chief said the BNP wanted to turn Bangladesh into a failed state to make the defeated forces of 1971 happy.

The prime minister said 19 coups took place during the Ziaur Rahman’s regime and hundreds of army and air force officers and soldiers were brutally killed at that time.

“They were shot dead and hanged and they didn’t know what were there offences … it was heard that Ziaur Rahman used to put signature on the files of death sentences while eating with fork,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said their character embodies the character of a killer. “You had seen it in the August 21 grenade attack which put a tragic end to the lives of 24 Awami leaders and workers, including Ivy Rahman,” she said.

The prime minister said the BNP government did not work for changing the lot of the people and they had no attention towards it.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s development in various sectors, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh remains No. 1 position in GDP growth, economic front and purchasing power.

“Many (ill) efforts were made and many false blames were given to hinder this advancement … but I will say one word that I’ve nothing to lose as I lost father, mother – everything,” she said.

The PM added: “I don’t do politics to gain anything and I’m involved in politics since my childhood … I saw that my father pursued politics with an ideology and he didn’t think about changing his own life.”

Describing honesty as a strength, Sheikh Hasina said anything could be said and any situation could be faced if honesty persists.

“Bangladesh has progressed (a lot) and its advancement is continuing as we worked keeping this in mind and now none can pull Bangladesh backward– it’s the reality,” she said.

Describing August 15 of 1975 as the most stigmatized day for the nation, the prime minister said the people of the country had lost their potentiality to remain alive, continue development and dignify their life through the August 15 carnage.

“But we’ve been able to restore that potentials,” she said, urging the countrymen to stay alert so that Bangladesh no more falls in the hands of the ‘hyaenas’.