I just want justice

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated unequivocally that she wants a fair judgment in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case to be delivered today by the Supreme Court.

“I just want justice. I don't want to say anything more about it now,” she said while addressing a reception accorded in her honour by the Italy chapter of ruling Awami League at Oriental Hall at Piazza Ri Di of the Italian capital Rome Tuesday night.

Hasina is scheduled to return to Dhaka at about 9:00am today ahead of the apex court judgment on Bangabandhu killing.

Referring to the BDR mutiny on February 25-26, she said the government has already started trial process of the killers of the patriotic army officers who were brutally killed in the mutiny.

She said 33 of the officers slain in a planned way during the mutiny belonged to pro-Awami League families and it happened at the time when her government was making a move to bring them back to the army and Special Security Force (SSF) for their good professional records.

Hasina, one of the two surviving daughters of Bangabandhu, said the anti-liberation war forces are still trying to protect the killers of the father of the nation.

“But the killers will have no place on the soil of Bangladesh,” she asserted.

The premier also vowed to hold retrial of the killers of four national leaders assassinated on November 3, 1975. Hasina, reiterating her pledge to try the war criminals as per the election manifesto of Awami League, said, “We will fulfil our election commitments.”

“There will be no room for the terrorists and militants in the country,” said the premier amid huge applause by several thousand party men gathered at the community hall in the Italian capital.

She said a number of steps are being taken by the government to change the fate of country's poor people by ensuring food security and protecting them from the risk of climate change.

As some expatriate AL leaders drew the attention of the premier by raising a number of problems they are facing abroad Hasina said her government would look into the problems and solve it for the welfare of the expatriate Bangladeshis who have huge contributions to country's economy.

The prime minister asked the Bangladesh ambassador in Italy to buy lands for setting up a consulate office in Milan where a large number of Bangladeshi people live.

She also said an expatriate bank would be set up in the country soon. She also said a branch of Bangladesh Bank would also be set up in Italy for safe and quick transaction of remittance to the country.

The premier said the government had already decided to set up schools in Italy and other countries where a large number of Bangladeshi citizens work, to ensure their children's education.

Regarding the voting rights of the expatriate Bangladeshis, Hasina said her government would take all necessary measures in this regard.

Among others, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni spoke at the function chaired by Mahtab Hossain, president of Italy AL.