Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said no one could kill Bangabandhu’s ideology and neither will be able to do so in the future as it will ever remain alive.
“Bangabandhu’s blood is still there in Bangladesh soil. Though Bangabandhu was assassinated, but no one could kill his ideology and neither will be able to do so in the future,” she said.
The Prime Minster was addressing the inaugural function of a three-day photo exhibition, titled ‘Chitrrogathai Sokhgatha’ arranged marking the 40th death anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad. The function is
dedicated to the new generation.
Quoting some words from Bangabandhu’s historic 7th March speech, Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of the Father of the Nation, said the Bengali nation yesterday proved it could no longer be suppressed.
“Bengalees have stood tall keeping their heads high, overcoming all the barriers…Bangladesh is moving ahead and would continue to march forward,” she added. Terming August 15, 1975 as a black chapter in national life, the Prime Minister said when the nation started dreaming of its prosperity, the tragedy befell on it.
Mentioning that Bangladesh is now regarded as a role model of development and has also graduated to a lower middle-income country, she said the day is not far away when Bangladesh will establish itself as a dignified country on the global stage…that’s our goal and we’re working to that end.”
Extending her thanks to the Dhaka North City Corporation for organising the exhibition, Hasina said the exhibition is being held in such a place (parliament area) where her party had established the history of democracy after a long struggle. “We’ve also started marching towards economic emancipation through democracy.”
Criticising Ziaur Rahman for patronising Bangabandhu’s killers through imposing an indemnity ordinance and rewarding them with postings in various foreign missions, Hasina said killings had ruled supreme in Bangladesh after Bangabandhu’s assassination along with most of his family members, triggering terrorism and militancy.
Hasina said although 18 people were killed on that fateful day on August 15, she and her sister could not seek trial for the massacre.
With the August-15 killings, she said, the nation had not only lost its Father but also got the spirit of the Liberation War and its history twisted and distorted apart from dissection of the constitution.
After 1975, Hasina noted, people could not utter Bangabandhu’s name. “The history was distorted and people had no right to hear the Liberation War songs. The trial of the war criminals was stopped, while the convicted war criminals were freed from jail and made prime minister, ministers and advisers.”
She said not only the students here, but also the whole of the new generation across the country could know the real history seeing these rare photographs and get inspiration for moving forward after gaining the spirit from the past.
The Prime Minister also vowed to turn Bangladesh into a hunger- and poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation so that the country could move ahead at the global arena standing on its own feet not begging from others and thus turn into a developed country.
Organised by Dhaka North City Corporation, the function was presided over by Mayor Annisul Huq.
AL General Secretary and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, LGRD Minister Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Syed Khokon spoke on the occasion while Renowned writer Syed Shamsul Haque recited a poem. Later, the Prime Minister witnessed country’s renowned artist Shahabuddin Ahmed painting a live portrait of Bangabandhu at the South Plaza.
