Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said the then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was definitely well-informed about the 21st August grenade attack. So, she must be brought to justice to deliver fairness to the victims of the carnage.
“The attack was held at the instigation of Tarique Zia and her mother was well informed about the plot,” the minister said adding that Begum Zia must be exposed into trial for the heinous attack.”
The minister said this at a seminar organized by the Institution of Diploma Engineers’ Bangladesh (IDE’B) marking 44th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at IDE’B auditorium here.
Dr Hasan said the then DGFI (Directorate General of Forces Intelligence) tried to investigate the grenade attack case based on the ground report of the intelligence agents. But, Begum Zia rebuked them, he added.
IDE’B President AKMA Hamid presided over the seminar while Additional Secretary of Technical and Madrasah Education Division AKM Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan, Director General of Directorate of Technical Education Rownak Mahmud and Chairman of Bangladesh Technical Education Board Morad Hossain Molla, among others, addressed the seminar.
Principal of Jashore Government Technical School and College Dr Syed Abdul Aziz and Bangladesh Technical Education Board Expert Dr Shah Alam Majumder presented two key-note papers in the seminar.
After the grenade attack on that day, he said, police lobbed tear gas and resorted to lathi charge on AL leaders and workers instead of rescuing the dead and the injured persons aimed at allowing the attackers to flee without any hindrance, he said.
The minister urged the law enforcing agencies to bring BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed to book for his provocative remarks on the gruesome attack when he (Rizvi) said ‘Awami League created the incident.’
Being failed to face Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina politically, BNP and its cohorts are out to remove her from politics trough annihilation, Dr Hasan, also the Publicity and Publication Secretary of Awami League, said.
He said Bangladesh is now moving ahead indomitably under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The poverty rate has been reduced to 20 percent from 40 percent and the per capita income has been increased to about 2000 dollar to 600 dollar over the last ten years.
Pointing out the graduation of th country from ‘least developing’ status to ‘developing’ the minister said once a food deficient Bangladesh is now a food exporting country despite its high population density. Position of Bangladesh is better than India and Pakistan in many key indicators, he noted.
The minister said it was Bangabandhu who established the rights of self-rule and self-determination of the Bangalee nation. Bangabandhu had been nourishing the dream of independence for a long time and he was waiting for a perfect time for its proclamation.
