Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the stern stance of the government against militancy and terrorism will continue. “There’ll be no place of militancy and terrorism on Bangladesh soil… the stern stance that we’ve taken against it will continue,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing a discussion organised by Bangladesh Awami League, marking the 98th birthday of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).
She came up with this view as an unidentified criminal was killed in Rab firing when he tried to enter a Rab-3 check post with a motorcycle and explosive at Shekher Jaiga in Khilgaon early today while another suspected suicide bomber sneaked into a Rab barrack and blew himself up in Ashkona.
The Prime Minister urged the people of all strata, including teachers, guardians, imams, ulema and professionals, to get united against the social menaces. “You have to remain vigil so that no one of your children can get involved in militancy and terrorism.”
Hasina called upon all to inform the law enforcement agencies if anyone notices anything related to militancy and terrorism to take appropriate measures. “You must have information about your children, where they go, with whom they spend time and what they do,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, urged Awami League leaders and activists to remain vigil as well regarding the militancy and terrorism.
She reiterated her pledge for establishing Bangladesh as the most peaceful country in South Asia saying that it is her responsibility to complete the unfinished tasks of the Father of Nation and change the fate of people.
Mentioning the huge sacrifice of the Father of the Nation for the welfare of the country’s people, she said Bangabandhu had dedicated his entire life for the Bangalees and given the nation an independent country but he could not materialise the dream of achieving economic emancipation because of the conspiracy of the anti-liberation forces at home and abroad.
Like Bangabandhu, Hasina said, the aim of her politics is to ensure the welfare of people and not to undermine their dignity and honour. “No one will be allowed to disregard the dignity of the entire country through false accusation of corruption,” she said adding that her government has been working to uphold the dignity as she is doing politics with honesty. Rather, she said, it was BNP that destroyed the country’s honour and dignity through their misdeeds and creating terrorism and militancy in the country as well as through arms smuggling and siphoning off money abroad. Referring to the long struggle of Bangabandhu for the political and economic emancipation of the Bangalees, Sheikh Hasina said he had united people and prepared them for the Liberation War to establish independent Bangladesh.
She said, Bangabandhu was an independent personality but had been in jail months after months when the Pakistani rulers had kept him in isolation and not even allowed him to read newspapers.
He had inspired the people with the spirit of independence through long struggle starting from the language movement to the Six-Point Movement, she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu never compromised on the question of justice and truth as well as the welfare of the people of Bangladesh.
Terming 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu as one of the best 45 speeches of 2500 years of the world’s history, the Prime Minister said he had made everything clear to people with his farsightedness to get ready with whatever they had to free the country.
She said that soon after the independence, Bangabandhu formulated a well-planned constitution incorporating how the country would be rebuilt and be advanced in all sectors, including education, health, communication and infrastructure development.
He also formulated necessary policy, law and other rules to develop the country alongside putting efforts to earn international recognition of the newborn Bangladesh, she said.
“It’s also stunning that Bangabandhu in a very short period of time had done or initiated most of the works required for building a newborn nation apart from framing necessary laws,” she added.
She said the politics of killing had begun in Bangladesh after the assassination of Bangabandhu and military dictator Zia becoming self-declared president when he made anti-liberation forces Prime Minister, MPs and advisers as well as gave killers of Bangabandhu posting in foreign missions.
Zia, Khaleda and Ershad annihilated freedom fighters, leaders and workers of the pro-liberation forces indiscriminately and continued their efforts to derail the country from the path of Liberation War spirit, she added. The Prime Minister directed leaders and workers of Awami League to take preparations from now on to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu in 2020 and golden jubilee of country’s independence in 2021.
AL presidium member and deputy leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Advisory Council member and Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Advisory Council member and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Advisory Council member Advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Presidium member and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, joint secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL organising Secretary Ahmed Hossain and AL Office secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap also spoke on the occasion.
