BSS, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen on the eve of the “Free Democracy Day” marking the fall of the then autocratic regime in 1990 and promised to protect achievements of the protracted pro-democracy mass movement.
In a message, the Prime Minister said since 1990 her party Awami League has been playing a responsible role in protecting democracy and people’s right to vote.
She said, “We have sealed off the usurpation of power by any one through the 15th amendment to the constitution.”
The Prime Minister said, “We spearheaded a long campaign to restore democracy uprooting the autocratic regime to establish the people’s fundamental rights and the country’s people spontaneously took part in the movement and shed their blood.”
She said an extra-constitutional and illegal government was established after the killing of the greatest Bangalee of all time and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.
“In the days following the killing of Father of the Nation Banbagandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the people’s right to vote and democratic values were destroyed. A reign of terror was established after distorting the glorious history of the Liberation War,” Sheikh Hasina said.
“We struggled for a long time to establish the people’s fundamental and voting rights as well as democracy. The people of the country took part in the movement spontaneously and many of them including Nur Hossain, Babul, Fattah and Dr Million sacrificed their lives to liberate democracy from the grip of the autocratic ruler.
“The autocratic ruler was forced to step down in the face of mass upsurge. We are committed to upholding the achievements,” she added.
The Prime Minister said, “I’m grateful to the people for their spontaneous sacrifice”, she said adding, “I pay respect to all martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect the democratic rights of the people.”
