Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also President of Bangladesh Awami League, on Tuesday said that AL was formed on June 23, 1949 at the Rose Garden in Dhaka when the seed of Independence Bangladesh was also sowed. Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, came up with the remark while speaking at a discussion meeting on the occasion of the Victory Day organised by Awami League at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
“The sun of Independence was set off at Amrakanan (Mango orchards) in Plassey in 1757 through the conspiratorial tactics of the British and that is why the AL was formed on June 23 , 1949 at the Rose Garden in Dhaka to bring the sun of Independence back for the Bangla”, said the Prime Minister. Sheikh Hasina at the meeting also mentioned the glorious roles of the AL and the contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the independence of Bangladesh.
She said, “Although Bangabandhu had started his struggle through the Language Movement, he was aware of everything about the repression on the Bangalees by the Pakistanis, lack of food, absence of rehabilitation and treatment facilities of the people of the erstwhile East Pakistan. His main attention was on the change of the fate of Bangalee people.
During her speech, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned with regret that she still could not find a reasonable answer of the question where all the leaders of Awami League had been when Bangabandhu was assassinated and why none of them came forward to raise a protest and play a courageous role against the brutal killing in the world history.
"It’s (Awami League) such a big organisation with so many leaders! Where had they been? Sometimes I want to know myself why no one came forward with the courage. However, she said, the mass people were always with Bangabandhu". Hasina wondered why no one of the country was aware of the assassination of Bangabandhu and why no-one took any step against the brutal killing!
"That dead body ( of Bangabadhu) lied on the floor, why ? I didn’t get that answer till today," she said. The Prime Minister said the failure to protect Bangabandhu forced the nation to pay for the next decades. "Because, there were repeated coups, there were some 18-19 coups in this country after the assassination of the Father of the Nation… the darkness shrouded the entire nation and there had been oppression and tortures on the leaders and activists of the party," she said.
“If anyone had come forward with one’s courage then these oppression and tortures might not have been taken place, and there might not be repeated coups in the country… these repeated coups pushed the country on the verge of destruction," she said.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader delivered the welcome speech at the meeting which was addressed, among others, by AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Prof Marina Jahan Kabita, Humayun Kabir and SM Mannan Kochi.