Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the conspiracies of the anti-liberation forces to foil independence and to turn Bangladesh into a failed state will never be successful.
“The collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces and those who still love Pakistan are out to foil Bangladesh’s hard-earned independence and turn the country into a failed state. But we won’t allow their conspiracies to be successful,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina made the remarks while addressing a meeting at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. Bangladesh Awami League organised the programme on the occasion of the 49th Victory Day, report UNB and BSS.
The AL president said wherever the Pakistani-lovers stay – in jail or abroad – their plots will be there.
“We’ll have to foil their conspiracies by remembering the words of the Father of the Nation that none could suppress seven crore Bangalees … we’re now 160 million people.”
Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, said Bangladesh earned independence in exchange for blood of millions of martyrs. “They joined the liberation war responding to the call of Bangabandhu and struggled throughout their life for this independence … their sacrifice cannot go in vain,” she said.
The premier said Bangladesh fought and won the liberation war against Pakistan. “Our goal was that we’ll remain above Pakistan anyhow on all sides including economic, social and cultural fronts. We truly stay there,” she said.
She went on saying: “We are in a better position than everybody else. We must keep up this success.”
Talking about the tragic incident of August 15 in 1975, Sheikh Hasina said she is still looking for an answer why no-one of so many leaders came forward to play a courageous role against the killing.
"There was a big organisation… so many leaders! Where had they been? Sometimes I want to know that; no-one came forward with their courage. The mass people were always with Bangabandhu," she said.
Hasina wondered why no-one of the country could know about the assassination of Bangabandhu and why no-one took any step against the killing!
"That dead body lied on the floor of [Dhanmondi] 32, why? I didn’t get that answer till today," she said.
The Prime Minister said the failure to protect Bangabandhu forced the nation to pay for the next decades. "Because, there were repeated coups, there were 18-19 coups in this country after the assassination of the Father of the Nation… there had been oppression and tortures on the leaders and activists of the party," she said.
“Had anyone come forward with one’s courage, then these oppressions and tortures might not have taken place, and there might not be repeated coups in the country… these repeated coups pushed the country to the verge of destruction," Hasina said.
After the independence, she said, Bangladesh got Bangabandhu to build the country but there were some conspirators who with the help of Pakistan tried to make the country a failed one. “There were also some people who were so engrossed after the independence that they didn’t even think how to protect the Father of the Nation but took advantages from him.”
As a result, the August 15 fell upon the whole nation as an era of darkness, she said.
AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury, General Secretary Obaidul Quader and Joint Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak also took part in the discussion.
AL Publicity and Publication Secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publication and Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam Amin conducted the discussion.
Besides, AL Central Committee Member Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Dhaka North City AL General Secretary SM Mannan Kachi and Dhaka South City AL General Secretary Humayun Kabir addressed the programme.
AL Central Committee Member Marina Jahan Kabita recited a poem titled “Bangabandhu: Tumi-e Bangladesh” at the discussion.
