August 15 assailants conspired to kill Hasina, Rehana abroad: Gowher Rizvi

Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi today said the assailants of August 15 in 1975 also conspired to kill Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana abroad, but the government of the then host countries prevented it.

"After the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu in the fateful night, the killers also plotted to murder Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana abroad, which was prevented by the host governments at their residence at the time," Dr Rizvi told a discussion in London, said a release of Bangladesh High Commission in London this evening (August 16, 2022).

The Bangladesh mission in London organised the discussion marking the 47th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning Day.

Rizvi said, "There is evidence of a collective and individual conspiracy behind the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family that began during the Liberation War long before Bangladesh gained independence. Bangabandhu was captured and taken to Pakistan not to be returned alive."

The PM's adviser said the main goal of the conspirators was to take back the country to pre-independence state and prevent Bangabandhu from establishing a progressive, secular and Bengali nationalism-based Bangladesh by killing him.

"Sufficient evidence of these has been found. They will be disclosed in due course," an internationally renowned historian and researcher Rizvi mentioned in his speech.