'Another black chapter'

President Zillur Rahman yesterday said the barbaric grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004 in the city will remain as another "black chapter" in the political history of Bangladesh.
In a message marking the day, the president said the grenade attack was aimed at eliminating Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina and other top leaders of Awami League so that the evil force can rule the country for a long time.
Zillur Rahman said August 21 is another mourning day in our national history. On this day, the killers tried to implement their heinous plot to assassinate Sheikh Hasina, as they killed Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975, he said.
Although Sheikh Hasina survived due to immense blessings of the Almighty, the president said, 24 leaders and workers of Awami League, including president of Mohila Awami League Ivy Rahman lost their lives.
Many of the injured persons in the attack became crippled for whole life and now living in endless miseries, he said.
The president said the reactionary and anti-liberation forces are still active to destroy country's independence and democracy.
It is the demand of the time to forge united resistance against them, he said.
The president paid rich tributes to the memories of the victims of August 21 and hoped that all democratic forces being imbued with the spirit of War of Liberation would come forward to resist the evil force and build a happy, prosperous and dignified nation.