Referring to the recent clashes between BNP men and police at Chandrima Udyan, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday wondered why BNP activists engage in fights despite knowing very well that Ziaur Rahman’s body is not there.
“Doesn't the BNP know that there's no grave or body of Zia? They know it very well! If so, why do they stage the drama? Khaleda Zia is also aware of it,” she said while addressing a program virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.
Awami League Dhaka city north and south units jointly organized the memorial meeting at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office, marking National Mourning Day.
Hasina said whether Khaleda Zia or Tarique Zia could claim that they saw Zia’s body in the box (which was brought from Chittagong) as a bullet-hit body can easily be recognized. “No one saw it as there was no body (of Zia) in the box.”
The prime minister said she heard from Hussain Muhammad Ershad that there was a body with a combat dress in the box.
"Don’t BNP men know that the president can’t wear a combat dress? Even then they haven’t given up the habit of engaging in clashes over there," she added.
Sheikh Hasina said the objectives of August 15 conspirators were to make Bangladesh a failed state, thwart the achievements of the (country’s) independence and destroy the ideals of the Liberation War.
She also said that the conspirators who erased the name of Bangabandhu from history for 21 years are now internationally recognized. “Now no one can erase the name anymore. The history they had distorted is now very clear to people.”
Reiterating that Ziaur Rahman and Khondaker Mostaq were the masterminds of the August 15 carnage, she said Bangabandhu made Ziaur Rahman the deputy army chief, bringing him from Comilla Cantonment in order to keep his family unbroken.
She said Ziaur Rahman never believed in the existence of Bangladesh. “It’s true. No such history can be heard that Ziaur Rahman fought in any field or anywhere.”
The Awami League’s Chittagong leaders, including Mosharraf Hossain MP, named him “Mr Retreat” at that time as he used to stay three miles away from any fighting spot, she added.
Sheikh Hasina further said Mostaq became president depending on Ziaur Rahman but could not cling to power for a long time as Mir Jafar could not.
“All use the traitors, but no one trusts them. Ziaur Rahman did exactly the same thing, and Mostaq had to step down even before completing three months in power,” she said.
In her emotion-choked voice, the prime minister said she got the love and affection from Awami League leaders and activists and the people of Bangladesh when she returned home in 1981 after losing her family members. “So, Awami League is my family and Bangladesh is my family. I don’t have any fear of death or any desire.”
PM Hasina thanked the party leaders and activists for helping people during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s the Awami League leaders and activists who are standing beside people,” she said.
Awami League Dhaka city north unit President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman presided over the discussion meeting moderated by its General Secretary SM Mannan Kachi.