Keep Pak agents away from state power: PM:Daily Sun

Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the people to remain alert against anti-liberation elements so that they could not assume office to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the countrymen. “You have to remain alert so that the agents of the Pakistanis could not assume office to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the countrymen,” she said while addressing a discussion a
t the Agricultural Institution auditorium in the capital. Ruling Awami League organised the programme to mark the Martyred Intellectuals Day. Pakistan-led collaboration forces picked up the brightest sons on this day in 1971 and murdered them just two days before the country’s birth in one of history’s most infamous intellectual pogroms. She pledged for saving the national flag through blood. “We don’t allow anyone to play with the national flag earned with the supreme sacrifices of the martyred. We will not allow the vulture to play with the national flag. If necessary, we will sacrifice blood,” she said. Hasina, also the president of the ruling party, alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been waging movement to save the war criminals. “Her movement is to save the war criminals,” she said, hoping that people would not respond to the call. She reminded the people that Ziaur Rahman after assuming office illegally rehabilitated the self-confessed killers of Bangabandhu and made Rajakars and Al-badrs ministers. She said Zia started the politics of killings, coups and conspiracies. “He was an agent of killer Mustaque and set the Rajakars and Al-badrs free,” she said, adding that Zia paved the way for the anti-liberation forces to do politics through martial-law ordinances. “His wife Khaleda Zia also followed her husband’s footstep and made Nizami and Mujaheed ministers,” she said, adding that Khaleda Zia also enforced hartal in 1998 on the day of the judgment in Bangabandhu killing case. The premier also raised question over Khaleda’s rally in Narayanganj wherein Jamaat-e-Islami leaders delivered speeches. Hinting at her archrival, Hasina said, “She attended the programme with whom just a day before the Martyred Intellectuals Day. How did she deliver speech taking Al-badr and Rajakars on her side?” Expressing a firm commitment to hold the trial of war criminals, the premier further said the Al-badr and Rajkars would be tried. Accusing Zia of bringing the anti-liberation elements at home, she said, “Zia brought Shah Aziz and Ghulam Azam whose citizenships were cancelled. But Ziaur Rahman gave back their voting rights, amending the constitution through martial law ordinance.” Zia stopped the trial of war criminals through martial law. Zia did the same thing what the Pakistanis wanted to do,” she said, adding that Bangladesh experienced 18 coups during the regime of Zia. The premier also mentioned about the sixth parliamentary polls in where no major political parties contested the polls, but she (Khaleda) went for the polls with the Freedom Party. “She went for the polls with Col Rashid and Huda and Col Rashid sat in the chair of the leader of the opposition. She made Mujaheede and Nizami ministers after assuming office next time.” The premier said that BNP-Jamaat had a plan to push Bangladesh into darkness. They had a goal to turn Bangladesh into a failed state,” she said. The premier also accused the BNP chief of her involvement in the BDR carnage. “The BNP-Jamaat tried to save killers as BNP-Jamaat lawyers fought for the soldiers. Why did they try to save the killers? How the accused get so many lawyers in their favour and how did they get so much money?” she said. Hinting at Khaleda, the premier said she went underground on the day of the BDR carnage. “She had the protocol then but she did not inform anyone. Why did she not return to her Cantonment residence about one and half month? Where did she stay during the time?” she posed a question. She said Khaleda held the government responsible for the carnage. “Politicians irrespective of party affiliation thronged at the Pilkhana. But she did not go there. Why? Even she didn’t assist in the trail, rather appointed lawyers of the accused,” she said. AL senior leaders, including Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and two children of the martyred families Touheed Reza Nur and physician Nuzhat Chowdhury also addressed the pogramme with Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.