‘Some army officers alone couldn’t have murdered Bangabandhu’
Speakers at a discussion yesterday demanded forming a judicial investigation commission to unmask the masterminds behind the assassination of Bangabandhu, and bring them to justice.
They claimed that without cooperation of powerful local and international conspirators, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman could not have been assassinated by some army officers alone.
They were speaking at a discussion on “Bangabandhu and Bangladesh” organised by the Ministry of Shipping at Bangladesh National Museum auditorium in the capital’s Shahbagh.
Speaking as chief guest, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said the verdicts over Bangabandhu’s assassination were handed only to the persons who brutally murdered him on August 15, 1975 but masterminds behind it are yet to be punished.
“All local and international conspirators must be brought to book,” he demanded.
Terming Bangabandhu a leader to all, the minister recalled that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman played a significant role in establishing an independent Pakistan but West Pakistan’s repression left his dreams shattered.
“Though we achieved independence from the British, leaders of West Pakistan started infringing our economic, cultural and political freedom, especially during the election of 1970,” said the minister.
He said Bangabandhu’s outstanding leadership made the nation’s aspiration for an independent Bangladesh possible.
He urged all to strengthen the hands of Sheikh Hasina to fulfil the unfinished work of Bangabandhu, in order to transform the country into “Sonar Bangla”.
In his speech, Major (retd) Rafiqul Islam Bir Uttam said that conspirators had managed to kill the physical existence of Bangabandhu but his ideology will never die.
He claimed that some detective officers were also involved in Bangabandhu’s murder, as they did not properly inform Bangabandhu about the conspiracy.
“All masterminds, including those detective officers, should be revealed to the nation,” he demanded.
Citing controversial actions of former president and BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman during the Liberation War, he said that he along with other army officers including Zia had held several meetings to execute various directives of Bangabandhu but Zia showed negligence in his role.
“Zia was assigned to stay at the Chattogram Cantonment to thwart any attack there, but he left the place for Cox’s Bazar and the cantonment was attacked by Pakistani army,” claimed the former commander of Sector-1 during the war.
He said defeated forces of 1971 had taken their revenge by brutally killing Bangabandhu and his family members on August 15, 1975. “We all should be aware of those conspirators,” he said.
In his speech, Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman said Bangabandhu did not make any compromise with Pakistan when it came to our independence.
“He [Bangabandhu] had been building up momentum for years, for the opportune moment, and finally gave us an independent country,” he added.
He hoped that the ideology of Bangabandhu would be applied effectively towards the country’s development.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury chaired the discussion marking the 44th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu.
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