Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated her vow to declare March 25 as the Genocide Day in the country and pursue all to make the same internationally as occupation forces on that day in 1971 carried out one of the worst genocides in history against the unarmed people of Bangladesh.
She came down hard on Pakistan for spreading false and fabricated information about genocide during the Liberation War in 1971.
“Recently, it has been seen that Pakistan’s conspiracy against Bangladesh is going on. They’ve published a book where they put captions under the pictures of genocide saying freedom fighters carried out those. This propaganda is not acceptable to anyone.” she said.
The prime minister was addressing a function marking the distribution of the Ekushey Padak (21st February Award), 2017, organised by the ministry of cultural affairs at Osmani
Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
A book titled Creation of Bangladesh: Myths Exploded authored by Junaid Ahmad, published in Pakistan, has been handed over to the Bangladesh High Commission in Pakistan where some false and fabricated information regarding genocide, number of martyrs, torture of women by the Pakistani army were mentioned.
“I think, we’ll have to take March 25 as the Genocide Day and I also think we’ll have to try to get international recognition,” she said.
The prime minister also said BNP leader Khaleda Zia in recent past expressed doubt whether 3mn people were not killed by the Pakistani force during the Liberation War. “This number is not right,” she quoted Khaleda Zia as saying.
“What can be more shameful than this ... I don’t know whether there’s any link between the propaganda of Pakistan and the statement of Khaleda Zia,” she added.
“But they seem to carry the same tune, which is like betraying our martyrs.”
The prime minister said there is no doubt about the genocide during the Liberation War and each family of the country is the victim of the genocide and everybody knows it very well that it was carried out by the Pakistani force.
“Raising question about the genocide and number of the martyrs is very much
disgraceful,” she said.
The prime minister urged everybody to remain alert so that no one can destroy the achievements and successes of the Bangali people in all socio-economic sectors.
“As a nation, Bangali people have earned everything in exchange of huge sacrifice and struggle. We have to hold up these achievements and remain careful so that no one can destroy these achievements,” she said.
Congratulating the Ekushey Padak recipients, the prime minster hoped that the award would inspire the future generation to accomplish greater works for people who will learn from them and follow their footprint.
The prime minister sought cooperation from all in collecting and providing the names of the learned and wise men who made contributions to various sectors of society and played a supporting role for the development of society so that the government could honour them properly.
The prime minister mentioned that following the footprint of Bangabandhu she is delivering her speech in the UN General Assembly in Bangla every year and trying to make Bangla as one of the official languages of the
United Nation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina giving away highest civilian award Ekushey Padak to noted dancer Shamim Ara Nipa on the occasion of Mother Language Day in Dhaka yesterday.
