Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city’s Dhanmondi area on Tuesday morning marking the 40th Jail Killing Day.
Sheikh Hasina placed wreath at about 7:00 am and stood there for some time in some, as a mark of respect to the architect of Bangladesh.
Later, the central leaders of the Awami League placed wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu. Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim, Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qader, Railways Minister Mujibul Haque, Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Forests and Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Monju were in the convoy.
Besides, AL presidium members Advocate Sahara Khatun, Satish Chandra Roy, AL Advisory Council member Advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki, AL leaders Dr Hasan Mahmood, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Khalid Mahmood Chowdhury, Omar Faruk Chowdhury, Abdus Sobhan Golap, Ashim Kumar Ukil, members of the Parliament and other MPs were present there.
The nation observed the 40th anniversary of the jail killing on Tuesday to mourn the four liberation movement heroes-Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, AHM Quamruzzaman and Captain M Mansur Ali.
The four national leaders were killed on this day in the Dhaka Central Jail by the counter-revolutionaries, who sent the four leaders to jail soon after the August 15, 1975 bloodbath in which Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were killed.
The four leaders had led the country’s Liberation War when the Bangabandhu was detained by the Pakistan government.
Terming the killing of the four liberation movement heroes as stigmatized and unprecedented in the history of the world, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Tuesday said that Ziaur Rahman and Khandaker Mostaque were connected with the killing mission directly and indirectly.
“No government, including that of HM Ershad, arranged trial of the killers for the gruesome murder. They had not minimum respect for law. But now Khaleda Zia has been raising questions over the rule of law staying in London,” Nasim said.
The minister came up with the remarks while talking to the reporters after placing wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and those of the four leaders at Dhaka Central Jail marking the 40th Jail Killing Day.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan placed wreaths on behalf of his ministry, while DU VC placed on behalf of the university. They also visited ‘Bangabandhu Kara Smriti Jadughar’ and ‘Mrittonjayi Shaheed Smriti Kakkha’ in the central jail.
Replying to a question, Home Minister Asaduzzaman said the killers of Bangabandhu and the four leaders would be brought to book.
The government is trying to bring them back. When asked whether the perpetrators will be brought back to the country with the help of Interpol, the minister replied, “not only Interpol, we will take help from all agencies to bring back them.”
The four leaders played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government in exile that led to the Liberation War of 1971 with Syed Nazrul Islam as the Acting President, Tajuddin Ahmed as the Prime Minister, Mansur Ali as the Finance Minister and AHM Qamruzzaman as the Home, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister.
