Bangladesh Consul General in Toronto Nayem Uddin Ahmed has said that the country is ‘fortunate’ that the then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina had survived the August 21 grenade attack and “could lead us to a new height of development which is now termed as the ‘Development Miracle’”.
He recalled the most horrific attack 16 years ago in 2004 which was targeted at the present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who narrowly escaped the attack with an ear injury, but it killed at least 24 people and injured around 300 other leaders and workers.
The Bangladesh Consulate General in Toronto observed the day on Friday in a befitting manner in the Consulate General.
The observance was marked by reading out of messages from President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the mission officials, followed by a discussion session, it said in a statement.
The Consul General said that such a heinous act is unprecedented and was a height of political rivalry carried out by the then government to eliminate Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina.
“It was a mockery and shame that the then government in 2004 also staged a ‘Joj Miah Drama’ to protect the masterminds and perpetrators of this heinous crime,” he said.
“We are fortunate that the then Opposition Leader (current Prime Minister) had survived the attack and could lead us to a new height of development which is now termed as the ‘Development Miracle’,” he said.
The Consul general also urged all to strengthen her hands by doing their part of job to fulfill vision 2021 and vision 2041 to build a Sonar Bangla, as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.
Officials of the Consulate General attended the discussion program and a special prayer was offered to wrap up the day’s programme.