ZCZC
BSS-08
PM-DISCUSSION-AUGUST 21 3 LAST DHAKA
The prime minister said after the attack on that day, police lobbed tear gas canisters and resorted to lathi (baton) charge on AL leaders and worker instead of rescuing the dead and the injured persons to give a scope to the attackers to flee without trouble.
“Such a barbaric attack could not be staged without the patronage of the then BNP government. The BNP government had made arrangements for the training of the terrorists and created scopes for them to flee abroad,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the BNP government thought that she was killed in the attack. “But I survived the attack and when the BNP government heard that she didn’t die, they created scopes for four killers to run away,” she said.
Pointing out that many opposition lawmakers were injured in the attack, the prime minister said they were not allowed to utter a single word or discuss the matter in parliament.
“Even we were barred from bringing a resolution in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) to condemn the attack. Rather taking the floor, the then prime minister and leader of the House Khaleda Zia ridiculed with the issue, saying that who’ll kill her (Sheikh Hasina)?,” she said.
The prime minister said numerous leaders and parliament members of her party were groaning at the hospitals at the time. “But we had no right to discuss the issue in parliament and none was given mike in the House to speak on the matter … had they not been involved in the attack, they could not obstruct in this way,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the BNP had planned to kill her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy after abducting in the USA and the information came through the FBI investigation.
In the probe, a BNP leader was found guilty and convicted for it and in the court verdict, the names of BNP leader Mahbubur Rahman and Shafik Rehman came out, she said.
The prime minister said the man who was sentenced for the crime had tried to execute the plan in connivance with Tarique Zia. “We couldn’t know it had the FBI not made this investigation and the judgment not been delivered,” she said.
The AL president prayed for eternal peace of the souls of those embraced martyrdom in the August 21 grenade attack.
The prime minister thanked all the leaders and activists of her party and its associate bodies for standing beside the people and providing assistance to them in the present coronavirus situation, responding to her call.
“No political party of the country stood beside the people in such a way,” she said.
In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said many leaders and workers of the party died and got infected with the virus. She prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls.
Describing COVID-19 situation a global problem, the prime minister reiterated her call to all to comply with the health codes to protect themselves from the transmission of the deadly disease.
Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated the country and his dream was to bring smiles on the faces of the distressed people.
“We’ve advanced a lot (towards the goal). But unfortunately, the coronavirus stalled everything. Despite that we’re striving to advance the country by keeping the wheels of its economy operative,” she said.
Mentioning that attempts on her life were made several times, the prime minister said the Almighty Allah certainly has given some tasks to her by protecting her from the terrible August 21 grenade attack.
“I may continue that works until those are completed, and the Almighty will give that scope to me and we’ll build Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina urged all to pray so that the people of Bangladesh are saved from coronavirus and the pace of development of the country continues.
BSS/SH/GA/1542 hrs