Human-shield saved me

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government wants to end killing, terrorism and militancy in the country through bringing the masterminds and killers of grenade attacks of August 21 under trial.
The premier also said the August 21 grenade attack was aimed at halting the trend of independence, democracy, peace and development as well as making the country leaderless and to give the killing, conspiracy, terrorism, militancy and corruption a permanent stay.
Terming the attack a 'stigmatised day' in the political history of the country, Sheikh Hasina said, "The killers carried out the barbaric attack in broad day light on a peaceful rally of Awami League to kill me".
"Our party leaders and workers by forming a human-shield saved me from the series of grenade attacks," she recalled.
"I survived the attack due to immense blessings of the Almighty, but some 24 leaders and workers including president of Mohila Awami League Ivy Rahman embraced martyrdom. Many of the injured in the attack are now leading painful lives," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said it was the moral obligation of a government to arrest and to try the culprits involved with any such heinous attack. But, the then government of BNP protected the killers and helped a number of attackers to leave the country.
They destroyed the evidences of the incidence and in the name of investigation, diverted the heinous incident to other direction, she said.
She paid her deep homage to the martyrs of August 21 and urged all to create such a democratic political atmosphere where peace and safety of all people will be ensured.