BSS, Dhaka :
Coming down heavily on Begum Khaleda Zia and her party colleagues for stepping onto the main platform at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay respect to language martyrs, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said through this misdeed, they destroyed the dignity of the Shaheed Dibosh.
“They made money and owned property through committing plundering and corruption, snatching
food from the mouth of the poor and playing ducks and drakes with their fate. So how they would respect our culture, language, tradition and the great victory of the Liberation War?” she questioned. She added: “There is no place for independent Bangladesh in their mind as it remains in Pakistan, 1200 miles away from Bangladesh. That’s why they get up onto the altar of Shaheed Minar and they don’t know where the wreaths are placed.”
The prime minister was addressing a discussion in the Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh auditorium at Farmgate in the city here yesterday afternoon. Bangladesh Awami League organized the discussion on the occasion of Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day. Deputy Leader of the House and Senior AL Presidium Member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, former Bangla Academy director general Dr Syed Anwar Hossain, drama personality Ramendu Mazumdar and ex-principal of Badrunnesa Girls’ College Merina Jahan took part in the discussion, while eminent Poet Nirmalendu Goon recited a poem on the occasion. AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam Amin conducted the function. Earlier, a one minute’s silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memory of language heroes who laid down their lives for establishing Bangla as the state language on February 21 in 1952. Citing the love and affection of Khaleda Zia for Pakistan, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said the BNP leader echoing with the remarks of Pakistanis stated that 30 lakh people didn’t embrace martyrdom in the Liberation War.
“They have no respect for the language and they distorted the history of independence … they also dishonoured the Shaheed Minar through which we have got the opportunity to speak and call mother in Bangla,” she said.
In this connection, the prime minister said the President, the Speaker and she herself placed wreaths at the altar of Shaheed Minar to pay respect to the language martyrs. “But Khaleda Zia and her party colleagues got up onto that place and laid wreaths there,” she said. “Now they are refusing it, but everything was proved as there were CCTVs and photojournalists snapped it. It is also seen in social media that they stepped onto the altar of Shaheed Minar with party leaders and activists,” she said. The prime minister said Khaleda Zia might have been imbalanced due to placing of wreaths at midnight. But shouldn’t other leaders and activists who were with Khaleda Zia take her properly and show her where the wreaths are laid. “I don’t know exactly whether all of them became imbalanced at midnight,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said Khaleda Zia earlier used to go to Shaheed Minar at noon and placed wreaths. But the BNP leaders and activists used to shower their party chief with the flowers that were placed by Khaleda Zia,” she said, adding they stopped this culture when newspapers started writing against this. The Awami League president urged the party leaders and workers to uphold the ideology with which the country was liberated and devoted themselves to building Bangladesh as a hunger and poverty free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu. “What we got, what we didn’t are not a big thing for a politician. Rather what we deliver to the country and the people should be a big thing for a politician … we have been able to advance the country as we are running the country with that thought,” she said. Pointing out that she believes that power of honesty is the biggest strength, Sheikh Hasina said she has been able to face the conspiracy over Padma Bridge as she had power of honesty. She said the conspiracy regarding the Padma Bridge project was raised to tarnish the image of herself and her family members and partymen and secretary. “My family and I were targeted in this regard. But we have been able to face it successfully as we had power of honesty and it has been proved,” she said. In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said categorically that she or her family members would never do a thing that would taint the dignity of the countrymen and “I also want that the party leaders and workers wherever they stay would perform their responsibility to build the country and strengthen the organization with utmost honesty.” She said advancement of the country has started and it began its journey towards light. “The country is going ahead and will move further as blessings of Bangabandhu are with us and none would be able to take the country backward,” she said. The prime minister said Bangladesh is a victorious nation which earned independence through the 1971 war of liberation. “The rulers after 1975 wanted to get Bangladesh known as a state of beggars in the world, but we don’t want to become a sardar (leader) of beggars,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said the aim of her government is to change the fate of the people by fulfilling basic needs including food, housing, clothing and medicare. “We would make the country self-reliant in food and won’t move by begging and bow our head to anybody and we want to build the country in this way,” she said. The prime minister urged all to remain careful about the correct practice of Bangla language to uphold its dignity. She also highlighted the history of the language movement and said resonance of the pride of immortal Ekushey is now resounded in the hearts of the people of 193 countries transcending the boundary of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina said the Amar Ekushey got a new dimension when the UNESCO gave recognition to February 21 as the “International Mother Language Day” on November 17, 1999 at the initiative of the then Awami League government and with the help of some expatriate Bangladeshis, including Salam and Rafiq.
At the outset of her speech, the prime minister paid tributes to Bangabandhu and recalled his role in establishing Bangla as the state language of Bangladesh. She also remembered the contribution of Bangladesh Awami League to all movements from the Language Movement to the Liberation War.
Coming down heavily on Begum Khaleda Zia and her party colleagues for stepping onto the main platform at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay respect to language martyrs, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said through this misdeed, they destroyed the dignity of the Shaheed Dibosh.
“They made money and owned property through committing plundering and corruption, snatching
food from the mouth of the poor and playing ducks and drakes with their fate. So how they would respect our culture, language, tradition and the great victory of the Liberation War?” she questioned. She added: “There is no place for independent Bangladesh in their mind as it remains in Pakistan, 1200 miles away from Bangladesh. That’s why they get up onto the altar of Shaheed Minar and they don’t know where the wreaths are placed.”
The prime minister was addressing a discussion in the Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh auditorium at Farmgate in the city here yesterday afternoon. Bangladesh Awami League organized the discussion on the occasion of Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day. Deputy Leader of the House and Senior AL Presidium Member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, former Bangla Academy director general Dr Syed Anwar Hossain, drama personality Ramendu Mazumdar and ex-principal of Badrunnesa Girls’ College Merina Jahan took part in the discussion, while eminent Poet Nirmalendu Goon recited a poem on the occasion. AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam Amin conducted the function. Earlier, a one minute’s silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memory of language heroes who laid down their lives for establishing Bangla as the state language on February 21 in 1952. Citing the love and affection of Khaleda Zia for Pakistan, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said the BNP leader echoing with the remarks of Pakistanis stated that 30 lakh people didn’t embrace martyrdom in the Liberation War.
“They have no respect for the language and they distorted the history of independence … they also dishonoured the Shaheed Minar through which we have got the opportunity to speak and call mother in Bangla,” she said.
In this connection, the prime minister said the President, the Speaker and she herself placed wreaths at the altar of Shaheed Minar to pay respect to the language martyrs. “But Khaleda Zia and her party colleagues got up onto that place and laid wreaths there,” she said. “Now they are refusing it, but everything was proved as there were CCTVs and photojournalists snapped it. It is also seen in social media that they stepped onto the altar of Shaheed Minar with party leaders and activists,” she said. The prime minister said Khaleda Zia might have been imbalanced due to placing of wreaths at midnight. But shouldn’t other leaders and activists who were with Khaleda Zia take her properly and show her where the wreaths are laid. “I don’t know exactly whether all of them became imbalanced at midnight,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said Khaleda Zia earlier used to go to Shaheed Minar at noon and placed wreaths. But the BNP leaders and activists used to shower their party chief with the flowers that were placed by Khaleda Zia,” she said, adding they stopped this culture when newspapers started writing against this. The Awami League president urged the party leaders and workers to uphold the ideology with which the country was liberated and devoted themselves to building Bangladesh as a hunger and poverty free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu. “What we got, what we didn’t are not a big thing for a politician. Rather what we deliver to the country and the people should be a big thing for a politician … we have been able to advance the country as we are running the country with that thought,” she said. Pointing out that she believes that power of honesty is the biggest strength, Sheikh Hasina said she has been able to face the conspiracy over Padma Bridge as she had power of honesty. She said the conspiracy regarding the Padma Bridge project was raised to tarnish the image of herself and her family members and partymen and secretary. “My family and I were targeted in this regard. But we have been able to face it successfully as we had power of honesty and it has been proved,” she said. In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said categorically that she or her family members would never do a thing that would taint the dignity of the countrymen and “I also want that the party leaders and workers wherever they stay would perform their responsibility to build the country and strengthen the organization with utmost honesty.” She said advancement of the country has started and it began its journey towards light. “The country is going ahead and will move further as blessings of Bangabandhu are with us and none would be able to take the country backward,” she said. The prime minister said Bangladesh is a victorious nation which earned independence through the 1971 war of liberation. “The rulers after 1975 wanted to get Bangladesh known as a state of beggars in the world, but we don’t want to become a sardar (leader) of beggars,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said the aim of her government is to change the fate of the people by fulfilling basic needs including food, housing, clothing and medicare. “We would make the country self-reliant in food and won’t move by begging and bow our head to anybody and we want to build the country in this way,” she said. The prime minister urged all to remain careful about the correct practice of Bangla language to uphold its dignity. She also highlighted the history of the language movement and said resonance of the pride of immortal Ekushey is now resounded in the hearts of the people of 193 countries transcending the boundary of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina said the Amar Ekushey got a new dimension when the UNESCO gave recognition to February 21 as the “International Mother Language Day” on November 17, 1999 at the initiative of the then Awami League government and with the help of some expatriate Bangladeshis, including Salam and Rafiq.
At the outset of her speech, the prime minister paid tributes to Bangabandhu and recalled his role in establishing Bangla as the state language of Bangladesh. She also remembered the contribution of Bangladesh Awami League to all movements from the Language Movement to the Liberation War.
