Hasina reaffirms her government's commitment to try war criminals
Friday, 18 December 2009
COPENHAGEN, Dec 17 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the nation would be redeemed from the curse and stigma of the assassination of its founding father completely only when the verdict of Bangabandhu murder case will be executed.
She made the remark while addressing a community reception function and discussion arranged by the ruling Bangladesh Awami League's Denmark unit at Copenhagen Conference Centre on Wednesday night (local time).
The Prime Minister also reaffirmed before the expatriates her government's commitment to bring the war criminals to justice. The community reception and discussion was arranged on the occasion of the great Victory Day and Sheikh Hasina's visit to the Danish capital to attend the global climate summit.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and State Minister for Environment Hasan Mahmud also addressed the function with Denmark Awami League President Mustafa Majumder in the chair.
Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, Bangladesh Ambassador to Sweden and accredited Ambassador to Denmark Imtiaz Ahmed and All European Awami League President Anil Das Gupta were also on the podium. Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, Daily Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar, noted economist Dr Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Fazle Noor Taposh MP, Jahid Ahsan Russel MP, Iqbalur Rahim MP, Mahbub Ara Gini MP and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad were, among others, present at the function.
The reception was followed by cultural programme where the expatriate women and children presented dances with patriotic songs and poems. Several hundred Bangladeshi expatriates, including a good number of children and women, from different countries of Europe attended the function.
Hasina said the killers who murdered Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were rehabilitated by Ziaur Rahman and then his wife Khaleda Zia by providing them with jobs in the embassies and foreign missions and even by making "so-called" Member of Parliament (MP).
She mentioned that Khaleda Zia had made Rashid an MP through the "voter-less farcical election" held on February 15 in 1996. And General Ershad had also tried to make another "killer", Faruq, MP in the "farcical" election in 1988. "But people did not tolerate and did not allow him to do so," Hasina told her audience about the developments in Bangladesh's political arena since the August 15, 1975 changeover.
She renewed her vow to make Bangladesh a most peaceful nation in the South Asian region. "Terrorism and corruption will have no space in Bangladesh," the Prime Minister said.
She also mentioned that when the present cabinet was sworn in, many quarters had termed it 'Kachikachar Asar' while many had said most of the cabinet members 'cannot talk smartly, cannot walk smartly'. "But, after one year since we assumed office on January 6 this year, none can bring allegation of corruption against any of my cabinet members," the Prime Minister told the gathering of expatriate Bangladeshis.
Talking about the country's longstanding power crisis, Hasina was highly critical of the last BNP-Jamaat and caretaker governments, as they did not add "even a single" megawatt (mw) of electricity to the national grid.
She said when Awami League took charge in 1996, the total power generation was only 1600 mw which in the subsequent five years had been increased up to 4,300 megawatts. "But the matter of irony is that the BNP-Jamaat government did not do anything for increasing the power generation."
Hasina said in 2001 it was being said that Bangladesh was floating on huge gas resources and she also got proposal for selling the gas, but she didn't agree. "That's why we could not come to power again." She told her expatriate audience that the present gas resources would be explored and used in such a way that the people would become maximum beneficiary of their natural wealth.
Hasina observed that the past caretaker government did one thing good - they were able to make a flawless voter list identifying some 12.3 million (1.23 crore) fake voters.
"Then the people in the free and fair election on December 29 spontaneously voted Awami League to power. And we have taken the massive victory as a great responsibility to serve the people," she said. The government was working to turn Bangladesh into a modern, digital country.
"How long should we be known as poor and beggars?" she posed a question, and called upon the expatriates to stand by the government in its fight for development.
The PM said her government would give priority to agriculture and at the same time industrial development.
Hasina in her address thanked and expressed her gratitude to the expatriate Bangladeshis for their presence in the Victory Day programme braving terrific cold and snowfall.
She said enthusiasm and spontaneity towards all progressive works and democratic movements of Bangladesh was inspiring and exemplary. Hasina recognised that the expatriate Bangladeshis had played ever memorable role during the 6-point movement, 1969 mass upsurge, 1971 liberation war, 1990 anti-autocracy movement and all other progressive works in Bangladesh.
She made the remark while addressing a community reception function and discussion arranged by the ruling Bangladesh Awami League's Denmark unit at Copenhagen Conference Centre on Wednesday night (local time).
The Prime Minister also reaffirmed before the expatriates her government's commitment to bring the war criminals to justice. The community reception and discussion was arranged on the occasion of the great Victory Day and Sheikh Hasina's visit to the Danish capital to attend the global climate summit.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and State Minister for Environment Hasan Mahmud also addressed the function with Denmark Awami League President Mustafa Majumder in the chair.
Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, Bangladesh Ambassador to Sweden and accredited Ambassador to Denmark Imtiaz Ahmed and All European Awami League President Anil Das Gupta were also on the podium. Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, Daily Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar, noted economist Dr Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Fazle Noor Taposh MP, Jahid Ahsan Russel MP, Iqbalur Rahim MP, Mahbub Ara Gini MP and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad were, among others, present at the function.
The reception was followed by cultural programme where the expatriate women and children presented dances with patriotic songs and poems. Several hundred Bangladeshi expatriates, including a good number of children and women, from different countries of Europe attended the function.
Hasina said the killers who murdered Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were rehabilitated by Ziaur Rahman and then his wife Khaleda Zia by providing them with jobs in the embassies and foreign missions and even by making "so-called" Member of Parliament (MP).
She mentioned that Khaleda Zia had made Rashid an MP through the "voter-less farcical election" held on February 15 in 1996. And General Ershad had also tried to make another "killer", Faruq, MP in the "farcical" election in 1988. "But people did not tolerate and did not allow him to do so," Hasina told her audience about the developments in Bangladesh's political arena since the August 15, 1975 changeover.
She renewed her vow to make Bangladesh a most peaceful nation in the South Asian region. "Terrorism and corruption will have no space in Bangladesh," the Prime Minister said.
She also mentioned that when the present cabinet was sworn in, many quarters had termed it 'Kachikachar Asar' while many had said most of the cabinet members 'cannot talk smartly, cannot walk smartly'. "But, after one year since we assumed office on January 6 this year, none can bring allegation of corruption against any of my cabinet members," the Prime Minister told the gathering of expatriate Bangladeshis.
Talking about the country's longstanding power crisis, Hasina was highly critical of the last BNP-Jamaat and caretaker governments, as they did not add "even a single" megawatt (mw) of electricity to the national grid.
She said when Awami League took charge in 1996, the total power generation was only 1600 mw which in the subsequent five years had been increased up to 4,300 megawatts. "But the matter of irony is that the BNP-Jamaat government did not do anything for increasing the power generation."
Hasina said in 2001 it was being said that Bangladesh was floating on huge gas resources and she also got proposal for selling the gas, but she didn't agree. "That's why we could not come to power again." She told her expatriate audience that the present gas resources would be explored and used in such a way that the people would become maximum beneficiary of their natural wealth.
Hasina observed that the past caretaker government did one thing good - they were able to make a flawless voter list identifying some 12.3 million (1.23 crore) fake voters.
"Then the people in the free and fair election on December 29 spontaneously voted Awami League to power. And we have taken the massive victory as a great responsibility to serve the people," she said. The government was working to turn Bangladesh into a modern, digital country.
"How long should we be known as poor and beggars?" she posed a question, and called upon the expatriates to stand by the government in its fight for development.
The PM said her government would give priority to agriculture and at the same time industrial development.
Hasina in her address thanked and expressed her gratitude to the expatriate Bangladeshis for their presence in the Victory Day programme braving terrific cold and snowfall.
She said enthusiasm and spontaneity towards all progressive works and democratic movements of Bangladesh was inspiring and exemplary. Hasina recognised that the expatriate Bangladeshis had played ever memorable role during the 6-point movement, 1969 mass upsurge, 1971 liberation war, 1990 anti-autocracy movement and all other progressive works in Bangladesh.