BY SUMI KHAN
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed hope that “the history will one day expose the conspirators of the August 15, 1975 massacre” while stating that power, to her, is a responsibility towards the people.
Urging the student wing — Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) — of the ruling party to love the motherland first, she talked about the disappearance and killing of “Bangabandhu” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Hasina also recalled the “horrible days” of the Ziaur Rahman regime. After the killing of the Father of the Nation (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), Hasina said, Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Begum Khaleda Zia made power as a tool to enjoy.
“To me, power is a responsibility towards people. The conspirators behind the scene couldn’t be found yet… this information will definitely come out someday,” the chief patron of BCL said.
She said the killers had tried to shatter the pride of the nation and the country by killing him (Bangabandhu).
The Prime Minister said this while delivering a speech at a programme of the student wing of the ruling party — BCL, held at Awami League central office at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue, marking the National Mourning Day.
She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.
“We’ve held the trial of killers and with this, we’ve ensured that justice prevails in this country…. some killers still absconding,” she said.
By killing Bangabandhu, Hasina said, the killers thought that they would be able to erase his name, the sacrifices of millions of martyrs and thousands of women, and Bangladesh would turn helpless without any direction and ideals.
“That means they tried to totally destroy the country’s prospect of advancement in terms of education and economy, getting free from poverty and will stay in the world with its head high. They tried to demolish the ideals on which Bangabandhu liberated the country,” Hasina said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the sacrifice of her mother ‘Bangamata’ Fazilatunnesa Mujib, saying her mother was beside Bangabandhu throughout her life.
“My father could fully engage in the service of the country as he got such a companion beside him… this is very rare. Had my mother not stood beside him like that way, I wonder, whether Bangladesh would have been liberated or not,” she said.
Hasina said her primary aim is to build “Golden Bengal” as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.
She asked the BCL activists and leaders to be imbued with patriotism and follow the ideals of the Father of the Nation.
At the beginning of the programme, a silence of one minute was observed as a mark of respect to the martyrs of the August 15 massacre.
