Aug 15 a \\\'day of stigma\\\' for Bengali nation: PM

Terming August 15 a 'Day of Stigma' for the Bengali nation, Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina said the defeated forces of 1971 grabbed power on this day after killing Father of the Nation along with his family members, reports BSS.
The objective of the killers was to destroy all achievements of independence and make Bangladesh a province of Pakistan, she said at a memorial meeting organised by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) marking the National Mourning Day at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city Saturday.
The PM said the killers had targeted Bangabandhu for his leadership for independence of the Bengali nation. They could not accept our liberation. So they tried repeatedly to annihilate him to prevent emergence of the Bengali nation as a democratic, independent, sovereign and progressive nation.
Their evil design was unearthed soon after the killing when they declared Bangladesh as an Islamic republic, she said adding, but the betrayers were overthrown within three months thwarting their plan.
Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury presided over the meeting.
Advisory Council members of AL Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Presidium member of Awami League Matia Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim and advocate Sahara Khatun, general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, general secretary of Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal Dilip Barua also took part in the discussion.
Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddique attended the function as special discussant while Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor recited poems of Nirmalendu Goon on Bangabandhu.
President of AL Dhaka City unit M A Aziz and General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya also spoke on the occasion.
Paying her tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina said the great leader had led the Bengali nation in making a homeland of their own. To make this happen, she said, Bangabandhu had to fight for 23 years and suffer in jail making his life endangered.
She said after victory in 1971, Bengalis were proud of their valour and courage. But the conspirators stained the nation with the shame of a 'killing nation' through carrying out the barbaric massacre in the dreadful night of August 15, 1975.
Sheikh Hasina said the residence of Bangabandhu on Road no 32 was the centre point of all movements spearheaded by Bangabandhu. For this, the killers killed him in this house along with his wife, sons, daughters-in-law, security personnel and even the domestic helps.
The Prime Minister said the killing of Bangabandhu was not aimed at perishing a person only. It was part of a long drawn conspiracy. The killers tried to kill him in 1971 and tried to hang him in the Agartala Conspiracy Case.It's unfortunate that Bangabandhu was killed by the people of his own country whom he loved very much and dedicated his whole life for their political and economic emancipation," the Prime Minister lamented.