'Bangladesh more capable than others of tackling militancy'

Seeking more cooperation and vigilance from the countrymen to tackle terrorism and militancy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh has proved that it is more capable than others of facing the twin devils by taking prompt decisions. 

The prime minister said terrorism and militancy are taking place across the world and those are happening frequently. "Europe, America -- there is no place in the world that such incidents don't occur. But we can say that Bangladesh has proved that it's more capable of countering these social menaces than others by taking swift actions," she said.

The premier was addressing a voluntary blood donation programme and discussion in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital this yesterday afternoon. 

Bangladesh Krishak League (BKL) arranged the blood donation programme and discussion as part of the month-long programme of Bangladesh Awami League and its associate organizations marking the 41st National Mourning Day commemorating the martyrdom of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 41 years ago. 

Earlier, the prime minister unveiled the cover of a BKL publication -- "Krishaker Kantho".

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Public Administration Minister and Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and AL Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, AL Agriculture and Cooperatives Affairs Secretary Dr Abdur Razzak, MP, Barrister Sheikh Fazley Noor Taposh, MP, Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor Dr Qamrul Hasan Khan took part in the discussion, among others.

BKL General Secretary Advocate Shamsul Haque Reza conducted the discussion.

Earlier, a minute's silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the Father of the Nation and other martyrs of the August 15 carnage. 

The prime minister accused again the anti-liberation forces of nurturing militancy and terrorism in the country, and expressed her firm resolve that there won't be any room for militancy, terrorism and killers on the soil of Bangladesh.

"We need more support and watchfulness from the countrymen to clamp down on terrorism and militancy ... we want information from the people to track down the militants and terrorists," she said.

The premier said her government wants to build Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu by changing the lot of the people. "We want that the politics of killing, conspiracy and coup doesn't occur in Bangladesh again and nobody could play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people," she said. 

Sheikh Hasina said her government has freed the country from a stigma by holding trial of the killers of Bangabandhu and executing the court verdict. 

"We are also holding the trial of war criminals and executing the judgement to free the country from another stigma. But the ghosts of Bangabandhu's killers, the executed war criminals and their children are hatching conspiracies against the country," she said.

Pointing out that the people of the country are now united against terrorism and militancy, she said they rejected with hatred the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy. 

Sheikh Hasina said the path for going to work for the people is always uneven. "But we are moving forward by crossing the rugged way," she said.

The premier sought cooperation and doa from the people to bring smile on the faces of the common people. "We are marching forward with a pledge to bring smile on the faces of the distressed people ... to achieve the goal, we need cooperation and doa from the countrymen as doa is the viaticum for the journey," she said. 

Blasting the subsequent governments after the assassination of Bangabandhu for rehabilitating the killers of the Father of the Nation and war criminals, the premier said plots of military rulers to play with the fate of the common people alongside the country's independence and sovereignty were orchestrated for 21 years.

"Their conspiracies are still going on. But the people of the country could not be misguided as they stay alert against these conspiracies and they are taking lesson from the history," she said.

She said General Zia, General Ershad and Khaleda Zia installed the anti-liberation forces in power and rewarded the killers of Bangabandhu in various ways. "In this way they patronized the politics of killings, conspiracies and coups," she said.

She said General Zia also did heinous work to assassinate the characters of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of the August 15 massacre by carrying out propaganda against them. "But the people of the country didn't accept that propaganda," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said ill efforts were made after the assassination of Bangabandhu by the military rulers to misguide the people through distorted history. "The history of our struggle, victory and the War of Liberation were completely polluted at that time and the new generation could not know the true history for 21 years," she said.

Highlighting various steps for the development of the country and welfare of the people, the premier said the aim of her government is to ensure well-being of the people.

She reiterated her firm determination to build a higher middle-income country by 2021 and developed one by 2041. "We want to transform Bangladesh into such a country where there would be no poor and distressed people and we have firm belief that we would be able to achieve the goal," she said.

Later, the premier formally opened the blood-donation programme of Bangladesh Krishak League.

Source: BSS