Raise voice for their trials
Branding the backers of war criminals as the “biggest culprits and Razakars”, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon people to be vocal for their trials.
“Those who had made war criminals ministers and gave them our national flag and those who had brought Bangabandhu's killers to parliament by rigging votes are the biggest criminals and Razakars,” she said.
The PM was addressing a joint meeting of the AL advisory council, central working committee and the council preparation committee at the Gono Bhaban in the evening.
Hasina said the patrons of war criminals are against humanity and their trial should be held in Bangladesh.
“Why did they [backers] make war criminals ministers despite knowing that they were Al-Badrs and Razakars who had tortured people, torched their houses and carried out genocide time and again?” she questioned.
The premier said the country's progress would continue and no one would be able to halt it.
Militant activities marked a rise at a time when her government was taking the country forward and working for people's welfare, added Hasina, also the AL president.
Coming down heavily on the BNP chairperson for her recent statement against the anti-militancy drives, she posed a question, “Why is Khaleda Zia shedding crocodile tears for the terrorists and militants? She didn't feel any pain for those who were burned to death. But why is she feeling pain for militants?”
“The mystery behind this should have to be unearthed. A question arises whether it was her desire that the militants killed more people,” she went to say.
The law enforcement agencies conducted the anti-militancy operations in Gulshan, Kalyanpur and Narayanganj like those carried out in other countries, she stated. “The terrorists would have killed more people had the law enforcers not been able to stamp them out in their successful operations.”
She also expressed satisfaction that awareness has now been created across the country against terrorism and militancy and people from all strata, including teachers, students, parents and guardians, are united.
The AL chief urged people to stay alert so that terrorism and militancy could never make a comeback in Bangladesh.
Mentioning that her government had been able to resolve the Holey Artisan hostage crisis in just 10 hours, Hasina said no other country in the world could have accomplished such a job in such a short period.
The PM remembered torture and looting unleashed by the anti-liberation forces at her village in Tungipara of Gopalganj. She said her government was holding the trial of war criminals so that those who lost their near and dear ones during the Liberation War get justice.
About the cases filed against the BNP leaders and its chief Khaleda Zia, she said they burned people to death in a bid to foil the January 5, 2014 national election. “Those who oppressed people and hampered their livelihood must be brought to justice.”
The premier said the former BNP-Jamaat government had filed some 129 cases against AL leader Haji Selim and also dozens of cases against her.
“We're really busy carrying out development activities in the country. We don't have time to file any false cases against them,” she added.
Members of the AL central working committee, advisory council and the convener and member secretary of the 20th National Council Preparatory Committee were present.
ALCWC TO GET BIGGER
The meeting in principal decided to expand the AL central working committee (ALCWC), the party's apex decision-making body, reports our correspondent.
The committee currently has 73 members -- the president, general secretary, 13 presidium members, 19 secretaries, two deputy secretaries, three joint general secretaries, seven organising secretaries, one treasurer and 26 members.
Following expansion, the committee would have 81 members, including new secretaries and organising secretaries, said meeting sources.
On September 11 last year, the ALCWC decided to create three more divisional units -- Mymensingh, Faridpur and Comilla. Three more organising secretaries would be assigned to the new divisions.
The AL's 20th national council, scheduled to be held on October 23, would pick leaders to fill in three vacant posts of the presidium, the party's highest policy-making body.
Three posts in the presidium lie vacant now following the death of Zohra Tajuddin and expulsion of Latif Siddique from the party. The other post has been vacant since the party's 2012 national council.
The meeting also decided to incorporate the party's Vision 2041 into its declaration. The mega projects of the government and its achievements would be included in the AL's charter, said sources.
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