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PM-AUGUST 21-ATTACK 2 LAST DHAKA
Holding the BNP government responsible for destroying the evidence of the grenade attack, Sheikh Hasina said the attackers left the scene under the cover of the law enforcement agencies and they damaged the unexploded grenades and helped the grenade suppliers to leave the country.
“We were not allowed to utter a single word or discuss the matter in parliament. Even we were barred to bring any motion in Jatiya Sangsad to condemn the attack,” she said.
The prime minister said rather, the BNP ministers in parliament tried to make a joke of the incident and said: “I carried the grenades in my vanity bag to stage the attack.”
Sheikh Hasina said not a single time, attempts on her life was made time and again.
She said there is also no doubt that Zia family was involved in the August 15 massacre in 1975 as Zia’s government rewarded the Bangabandhu’s killers giving them indemnity.
“We saw the same incident after the August 21 grenade attack. Instead of tracking down the real culprits, the BNP-Jamaat government staged the ‘Joj Mian drama’ with an innocent village man to divert the incident to other direction,” she said.
The prime minister said there is no expert than BNP to spread rumours and resort to falsehood as the party spread rumors at places, even among the children of the schools saying that, “I hurled grenades by carrying those in my vanity bag.”
Urging the countrymen to always keep in mind the BNP’s character, the premier said: “I want the people to always remember the incidents like August 21 grenade attack”.
Sheikh Hasina asked Awami League leaders and workers not to give any place to those who carried out the grisly grenade attack and who killed the women and children through arson attacks.
“Those who can perpetrate the heinous grenade attack in broad daylight can never make welfare of the country and the people … they can only know taking blood, and the countrymen will always have to be careful about them,” she said.
“Don’t give such elements to any place of the party as they emerged through the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy and their character will never be changed,” she told the party men.
The AL chief said the BNP-Jamaat elements only know terrorism, militancy, corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of orphans’ money. “They only know enjoyment and don’t know to deliver anything,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina recalled that Bangladesh was turned into a country of bloodbath and a sanctuary of terrorism and militancy after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975.
“After assuming office in 1996, we tried to root out terrorism and militancy. Despite that our leaders and activists became the victims of killing and torture by the BNP-Jamaat clique,” she said.
Entering the Awami League, she said, the BNP-Jamaat elements create trouble inside the party (AL), “kill our party leaders and workers and later they put blame on us.”
Earlier, the premier first placed a wreath at the memorial, and then flanked by leaders of Awami League, she, as the president of the party, placed another wreath.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader was present on the dais, while party’s Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud conducted the ceremony.
Cabinet members, senior leaders of Awami League and 14-party combine and family members of the martyrs and those injured in the incident were present.
A minute’s silence was observed in memory of those killed in the grenade attack while a munajat was also offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls. After her address,
Sheikh Hasina met relatives of the victims of the grenade attack.
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