Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said “Most of the parties of the BNP-led alliance are anti-liberation forces. Slogans are raised from the public meetings of the BNP leader for release of the war criminals. If you look at their meetings, you will see whether they are pro-liberation or anti-liberation forces,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a big rally organised by Jubo League at Suharawardi Uddyan here today marking the 42nd founding anniversary of the organisation.Accusing the BNP of killing of innocent people to foil the January 5, 2014 election, Sheikh Hasina said the BNP leader must be held responsible one day for giving indulgence to those crimes against innocent people.
Jubo League, youth associate of Awami League, organized the rally. Chairman of the organisation Omar Faruk Chowdhury was in the chair while Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, former chairman of Juba League Jahangir Kabir Nanak, MP, and secretary Harun ar Rashaid addressed the function among others.
Sheikh Hasina said democracy could not be foiled in January 2014 as the youths and countrymen were united, she added.
“They killed founder chairman of Jubo League and popular youth leader Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni on August 15, 1975. The gruesome murder was followed by killing, torture, disappearance of the youth leaders across the country,” she said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said BNP and anti-liberation force are experts in spreading falsehood. “They can easily blame others after committing a crime on their own which they have been doing since 1975,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said, ” Ziaur Rahman was made army chief by Khandakar Mushtaque as he (Zia) was involved in the 1975 putsch. Mushtaque in connivance with Zia sent the killers of Bangabandhu abroad and rehabilitated them there. Their associate Shamser Mobin Choudhury, who helped them in this task, is now an important BNP leader.”
Reiterating her commitment to complete the trial of the war criminals, Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu in the 1972 constitution disqualified the war criminals to be voters prohibiting their politics. But, Ziaur Rahman gave them back those rights, rehabilitating all anti-liberation elements in politics.
Sheikh Hasina said a country can never prosper under the guidance of anti-liberation force. “Soon after independence the anti-liberation force grasp state power in Bangladesh who could give nothing except killing, conspiracy, poverty and underdevelopment,” she added.
The Prime Minister said people of the country could realize the services of the government to the people in 1997 when Awami League assumed power after 21 years of Bangabandhu’s killing. “Every sector witnessed very positive growth during the five years tenure of Awami League,” she said.
“But, Awami League could not come to power again in 2001 as the party didn’t agree to sell its reserved gas,” she said adding, “Taking this as an opportunity, war criminals became the ministers in the Begum Zia’s cabinet.”
“We have pressure from many influential states to move back from the trial. But the trial is crucial to deliver justice and protect human rights of the victims of 1971 and their relatives,” the Prime Minister said adding it’s urgent to protect the human rights of the people rather than the war criminals.
Sheikh Hasina said her government would not bow to any pressure as Bangalee people didn’t in 1971. “Bangladesh was liberated through a bloody war. We are a victorious nation. A victorious nation doesn’t know to bow to any pressure,” she said. – BSS
