DHAKA, Nov 2, 2019 (BSS) – President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, today paid rich tributes to four
national leaders on the occasion of the Jail Killing Day recalling their
immense contributions to the War of Liberation.
In his message, the President said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman’s close aides four national leaders — Syed Nazrul Islam,
Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman — were brutally
killed by anti-liberation forces inside the Dhaka Central Jail on November 3,
1975.
“Today I am recalling them with profound respect,” he added.
Abdul Hamid said Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of Bangalee Nation,
is the architect of Independent Bangladesh.
He said Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of Bangladesh on March 26 in
1971 after imbuing the nation with Bangalee nationalism for more than two
decades and eventually the Liberation War started at his call.
When Bangabandhu was imprisoned in Pakistan jail during the Liberation
War, the President said the four national leaders made an outstanding
contribution to form the Mujibnagar Government, devise war strategy and
tactics, carry out administrative activities, conduct the Liberation War,
carry on diplomatic efforts and keep an eye on refugees to turn the
Liberation War into a people’s war.
“The nation will always remember the contributions of four national leaders
with respect,” said the President.
Abdul Hamid said the anti-liberation forces brutally killed the four
national leaders in continuation to the assassination of Bangabandhu and most
of his family members to make the nation leaderless alongside to jeopardize
the independence and sovereignty of the country.
He said the aim of the perpetrators of the killings was to give rise to
undemocratic autocracy in the country as well as to erase the spirit of
Liberation War from the minds of young generation.
“But design of the killers did not come out successful,” he added.
The President said the ideology of Bangabandhu will remain alive till the
existence of Bangladesh.
He said Bangabandhu had a dream to build the country as a happy and
prosperous “Sonar Bangla”.
“Everybody will make contribution from their respective positions to
materialize the dream of Bangabandhu and this would be our pledge on the Jail
Killing Day,” he added.
The President also prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of the
four national leaders.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, termed the November 3 (Jail
Killing Day) a stigmatized day in the history of humanity and democracy and
said such killings in the safe custody of jail are unprecedented in the
world.
Sheikh Hasina said the killing of the four national leaders were the
sequel to the assassination of Father of the Nation.
Through the hateful killings, the defeated forces of Liberation War and
anti-state cliques wanted to erase the name of Bangladesh Awami League
forever from the soil of Bangladesh and to destroy the spirit of Liberation
War, she added.
She said the anti-liberation forces plotted against the country again and
again and carried out attacks repeatedly to defeat the country’s democratic
and pro-Liberation forces.
Sheikh Hasina said in continuation of the conspiracies, a gruesome grenade
attack was carried out on an Awami League rally on August 21 in 2004
attempting to kill her. Though she escaped the attack, 22 people, including
Ivy Rahman, were killed in the carnage, she added.
The Prime Minister said a Dhaka court has handed over verdict to the
August 21 grenade attack cases.
“We are determined to establish rule of law and justice in the country,”
she said.
She said: “We have to remain prepared to resist the anti-liberation forces
and all evil efforts against development and democracy.”
The Prime Minister expressed her belief that the countrymen being imbued
with spirit of Liberation War will uphold democracy and rule of law to resist
all conspiracies.
Bangladesh is now a role model of development in the world, she said,
adding that a massive development has taken place in every sector including
economy, agriculture, education, health, ICT, communication, infrastructure,
power and rural economy as per the election pledges during the last 11 years.
She called upon the countrymen to make united efforts to implement the
Vision 2021 and 2041 to build a ‘Sonar Bangla’, as dreamt by Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.