Where AL leaders were when Mujib was killed: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that she was still looking for an answer where all the leaders of Awami League had been when Bangabandhu was assassinated and why no-one of them came forward to play a courageous role against the killing.

‘It’s (Awami League) a big organisation… so many leaders! Where had they been?’ she said.

‘Sometimes I want to find the answer why no one dared to come forward,’ she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing a discussion meeting arranged marking 49th Victory Day.

Awami League organised the discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka with its president Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Hasina wondered why no one of the country was aware about the assassination of Sheikh Mujib and why none took any step against the killing.

‘That 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 Mujib 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 on the verge of destruction,’ Hasina said.

After the independence, she said, Bangladesh got Sheikh Mujib 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.

She said there were some people who had affection for Pakistan, and their dream was to make Bangladesh a failed state.

‘We liberated our country from Pakistan and Bangladesh will always remain above Pakistan economically, politically, socially, culturally and in all other positive indices. The reality today is that we’re ahead of them. We’re now in a better position from all,’ she said adding that this has to be maintained.

Hasina said the conspiracy by the admirers of Pakistan against Bangladesh would continue, no matter whether they are—abroad or in jail.

‘We have to thwart the conspiracy and we’ve to take our country forward,’ she said.

She also said that the Awami League government always engaged in materialising the dreams of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and that was to make the country a developed and prosperous one which would be free from hunger and poverty.

AL general secretary Obaidul Quader delivered the welcome address at the discussion which was addressed, among others, by AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Marina Jahan Kabita, Humayun Kabir and SM Mannan Kochi.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net