গ্রেনেড হামলায় বিএনপি সরকারের মদদ ছিল: শেখ হাসিনা

২১ আগস্ট গ্রেনেড হামলার সঙ্গে তৎকালীন বিএনপি সরকারের সম্পৃক্ততারP অভিযোগ করে শেখ হাসিনা বলেন, আমি এখনো বিশ্বাস করি এটা প্রকাশ্য দিবালোকের মতো সত্য যে সরকারের মদদ ছাড়া এ ধরণের ঘটনা ঘটতে পারে না। পরিকল্পিতভাবে এই হত্যাকাণ্ড ঘটানো হয়েছিলো। তাতে কোনো সন্দেহ নেই।' রোববার সকালে ২১ আগস্ট গ্রেনেড হামলায় নিহত শহীদদের শ্রদ্ধা নিবেদন শেষে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা এসব কথা বলেন। আওয়ামী লীগ সভাপতি বলেন, 'রাজনৈতিক প্রতিপক্ষকে রাজনৈতিকভাবেই মোকাবেলা করতে হবে। গ্রেনেড মেরে রাজনৈতিক প্রতিপক্ষকে শেষ করে দেবে এটা হবে না। এজন্যই ২১ অগাস্ট গ্রেনেড হামলার বিচারের রায় বাংলার মাটিতে কার্যকর করা হবে। যেভাবে বঙ্গবন্ধু হত্যাকাণ্ডের বিচার হয়েছে, সেভাবে ২১ আগস্ট গ্রেনেড হামলার বিচারও করা হবে।' তিনি বলেন, 'আমি রাজনীতি করি এ দেশের মানুষের জন্য।

তাই আল্লাহ হয়তো সেদিন আমাকে রক্ষা করেছেন, আমার হাত দিয়ে ভালো কিছু করানোর জন্য।' ১৯৮২ সালে চট্টগ্রামে আমাকে হত্যার উদ্দেশে গুলি চালানো হয়েছিল। সেদিনও ২৪ জন নেতাকর্মী নিহত হয়েছিল। তিনি বলেন, আমার বিশ্বাস, এদেশের মানুষের ভাল কিছু করতেই মহান আলাহতালা আমাকে বাঁচিয়ে রেখেছেন। এদেশের মানুষের জন্য সততা ও নিষ্ঠার সাথে কাজ করে যাচ্ছি। আমার পিতা এদেশের মানুষের মুখে হাসি ফোটানোর জন্য সর্বোচ্চ ত্যাগ করে গেছেন। তাঁর আদর্শ আমার প্রেরণা। তিনি জনগণের কাছে তাদের কল্যাণে সবসময় কাজ করে যাওয়ার দোয়া কামনা করেন। শেখ হাসিনা বলেন, 'তখনকার সময় যারা ক্ষমতায় ছিলো তারা এ হামলার সুষ্ঠু তদন্ত করেনি। উল্টো সকল আলামত নষ্ট করে দিয়েছিলো। অবিস্ফোরিত গ্রেনেড আলামত হিসাবে সংরক্ষিত না রেখে ধ্বংস করা হয়েছিলো। তাহলে সত্য লুকানোর জন্যই কি এগুলো করা হয়েছিলো।' জঙ্গিবাদের বিরুদ্ধে লড়াই চালিয়ে যাওয়ার ঘোষণা দিয়ে তিনি আরও বলেন, 'বাংলাদেশে এই ধরনের ঘটনা আর যাতে না ঘটে- সেজন্য সরকারে আসার পর আমরা কঠোর অবস্থান নিয়েছি। াখতে হবে যে, কাল নাগিনী যে কোন রাতের

আধারেই ছোবল মারতে পারে এবং তারজন্য হাতে লাঠি নিয়ে সচেতন থাকা একান্ত প্রয়োজন। সাবধান বাঙ্গালী সাবধান। রাজাকারদের রক্ষা করার জন্যে ওরা যে কোনো সময় হামলা করতে পারে। স্বাধীনতা সার্বভৌমত্বের সাথে সাথে শেখ হাসিনা ও শেখ রেহানা কে রক্ষা করা ১৬ কোটি মানুষের দায়িত্ব। তিনি বলেন, 'এ ঘটনার বিচার না করে তখন জর্জ মিয়াকে নিয়ে নাটক সাজানো হয়েছিলো। জর্জ মিয়ার একার পক্ষ্যে এতো গ্রেনেড বহন করা কি করে সম্ভব ছিলো।'২১ অগাস্টের গ্রেনেড হামলার ঘটনা স্মরণ করে আওয়ামী লীগ সভানেত্রী বলেন, "আমি বক্তব্য শেষে মাইক রেখে সিড়ির দিকে পা বাড়িয়েছি। তখন গোর্কি (যুগান্তরের প্রধান ফটোসাংবাদিক এস এম গোর্কি) আমাকে বললো, 'আপা একটু দাঁড়ান। আমি ছবি নিতে পারিনি।' আমি দাঁড়ালাম। তখনই হামলা শুরু হলো।

যত বাধাই আসুক জঙ্গিবাদ ও সন্ত্রাসের বিরুদ্ধে আমরা অভিযান চালিয়ে যাবো।' তিনি বলেন, 'সন্ত্রাস জঙ্গিবাদের বিরুদ্ধে আমরা সেদিন র্যা লি করছিলাম। ওই দিন আইন-শৃঙ্খলা রক্ষাকারী বাহিনীর কোনও তৎপরতা দেখিনি। অথচ এমনিতে আমরা সভা সমাবেশ করতে গেলে পুলিশ ঘিরে রাখতো। কিন্তু ওইদিন পুলিশের তৎপরতা ছিল না। এমনকি গ্রেনেড হামলার পরে আহত-নিহতদের সাহায্যের জন্যও তারা এগিয়ে আসেনি। উল্টো আমাদের দলের যারা আহত-নিহতদের সাহায্যে এগিয়ে এসেছিল তাদের ওপর পুলিশ লাঠিচার্জ ও টিয়ারগ্যাস নিক্ষেপ করে।'পুলিশ লাঠিচার্জ ও টিয়ারগ্যাস ছুঁড়বে কেন প্রশ্ন করে তিনি বলেন, 'নিশ্চয় হামলাকারী ঘাতকদের পালিয়ে যেতে সহযোগিতা করতে পুলিশ এটা করেছিল। গ্রেনেড হামলায় আহতদেরও হাসপাতালে ঠিক মতো চিকিৎসা নিতে দেওয়া হয়নি। ঢাকা মেডিকেলে সেইদিন তেমন ডাক্তারও ছিলো না। বঙ্গবন্ধু মেডিকেলে আহতদের ভর্তি করতে চায়নি।'

আমার পাশে হানিফ ভাই (ঢাকা মহানগর আওয়ামী লীগের সভাপতি মোহাম্মদ হানিফ) ছিলেন। গ্রেনেডের যে স্পি¬ন্টার আমার গায়ে লাগার কথা ছিলো, তা উনার গায়ে লেগেছিলো। টপ টপ করে রক্ত আমার গায়ে পড়ছিলো।" ২১ অগাস্টের হামলায় নিহত ঢাকা মহানগর আওয়ামী লীগের উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের সদস্য রফিকুল ইসলামের (আদা চাচা) কথা স্মরণ করে করে শেখ হাসিনা বলেন, "ঝড়-বৃষ্টি যাই থাকুক না কেন, আওয়ামী লীগের সকল সমাবেশেই আদা চাচা উপস্থিত থাকতেন।শেখ হাসিনা নিহত ও আহতদের স্মরণ করে বলেন, 'আমি বক্তব্য শেষ করে সামনের দিকে পা বাড়িয়েছি তখনই হামলাগুলো হলো। একে পর এক গ্রেনেড পড়তে থাকে। ১২/১৩টি গ্রেনেড এসে পড়ে ছিলো। আমার পাশে হানিফ ভাই (ঢাকা মহানগর আওয়ামী লীগের প্রয়াত সভাপতি মোহাম্মদ হানিফ) ছিলেন। 

তিনি আমাকে আড়াল করে রাখেন। গ্রেনেডের স্প্রিন্টার আমার গায়ে না লেগে ওনার গায়ে লেগেছিলো। হানিফ ভাইয়ের সারাগায়ে রক্ত ঝড়ছিলো, সে রক্ত আমার গায়ে এসে পড়ে।' আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক সৈয়দ আশরাফুল ইসলাম, সভাপতিমণ্ডলীর সদস্য সৈয়দা সাজেদা চৌধুরী, শেখ ফজলুল করিম সেলিম, সাহারা খাতুন, ওবায়দুল কাদের, মতিয়া চৌধুরী, উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের সদস্য তোফায়েল আহমদ ও সুরঞ্জিত সেনগুপ্ত, জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দলের (জাসদ) সভাপতি হাসানুল হক ইনু, ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টির সভাপতি রাশেদ খান মেনন অনুষ্ঠানে আরো উপস্থিত ছিলেন। ওরা হায়েনা ওরা নরঘাতক ওরা সব পারে, তারপরেও মহান আল্লাহ রাব্বুল আল আমিন জননেত্রী শেখ হাসিনাকে রক্ষা করবেন। যেমন করেছিলেন ২১ শে আগষ্ট ২০০৪ সালে। ওরা সেদিন নেত্রীকে হত্যা করতে চেয়েছিল। কাজেই ওরা তো কখনোই ভালো চাইবে না। এ কথা সদা সর্বদা স্বরন র

BANGABANDHU SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN

The life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the saga of a great leader turning peoplepower into an armed struggle that liberated a nation and created the world’s ninth most populous state. The birth of the sovereign state of Bangladesh in December 1971, after a heroic war of nine months against the Pakistani colonial rule, was the triumph of his faith in the destiny of his people. Sheikh Mujib, endearingly called Bangabandhu or friend of Bangladesh, rose from the people, molded their hopes and aspirations into a dream and staked his life in the long battle for making it real. He was a true democrat, and he employed in his struggle for securing justice and fairplay for the Bengalees only democratic and constitutional weapons until the last moment. It is no accident of history that in an age of military coup d’etat and ‘strong men’, Sheikh Mujib attained power through elections and mass movement and that in an age of decline of democracy he firmly established democracy in one of the least developed countries of Asia.

Sheikh Mujib was born on 17 March 1920 in a middle class family at Tungipara in Gopalganj district. Standing 5 feet 11 inches, he was taller than the average Bengalee. Nothing pleased him more than being close to the masses, knowing their joys and sorrows and being part of their travails and triumphs. He spoke their soft language but in articulating their sentiments his voice was powerful and resonant. He had not been educated abroad, nor did he learn the art of hiding feelings behind sophistry; yet he was loved as much by the urban educated as the common masses of the villages. He inspired the intelligentsia and the working class alike. He did not, however, climb to leadership overnight.

Early Political Life: His political life began as an humble worker while he was still a student. He was fortunate to come in early contact with such towering personalities as Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy and A K Fazlul Huq, both charismatic Chief Ministers of undivided Bengal. Adolescent Mujib grew up under the gathering gloom of stormy politics as the aging British raj in India was falling apart and the Second World War was violently rocking the continents. He witnessed the ravages of the war and the stark realities of the great famine of 1943 in which about five million people lost their lives. The tragic plight of the people under colonial rule turned young Mujib into a rebel.

This was also the time when he saw the legendary revolutionary Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose challenging the British raj. Also about this time he came to know the works of Bernard Shaw, Karl Marx, Rabindranath Tagore and rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Soon after the partition of India in 1947 it was felt that the creation of Pakistan with its two wings separated by a physical distance of about 1,200 miles was a geographical monstrosity. The economic, political, cultural and linguistic characters of the two wings were also different. Keeping the two wings together under the forced bonds of a single state structure in the name of religious nationalism would merely result in a rigid political control and economic exploitation of the eastern wing by the all-powerful western wing which controlled the country’s capital and its economic and military might.

Early Movement: In 1948 a movement was initiated to make Bengali one of the state languages of Pakistan. This can be termed the first stirrings of the movement for an independent Bangladesh. The demand for cultural freedom gradually led to the demand for national independence. During that language movement Sheikh Mujib was arrested and sent to jail. During the blood-drenched language movement in 1952 he was again arrested and this time he provided inspiring leadership of the movement from inside the jail.

In 1954 Sheikh Mujib was elected a member of the then East Pakistan Assembly. He joined A K Fazlul Huq’s United Front government as the youngest minister. The ruling clique of Pakistan soon dissolved this government and Shiekh Mujib was once again thrown into prison. In 1955 he was elected a member of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly and was again made a minister when the Awami League formed the provincial government in 1956. Soon after General Ayub Khan staged a military coup in Pakistan in 1958, Sheikh Mujib was arrested once again and a number of cases were instituted against him. He was released after 14 months in prison but was re-arrested in February 1962. In fact, he spent the best part of his youth behind the prison bars.

Supreme Test: March 7, 1971 was a day of supreme test in his life. Nearly two million freedom loving people assembled at the Ramna Race Course Maidan, later renamed Suhrawardy Uddyan, on that day to hear their leader’s command for the battle for liberation. The Pakistani military junta was also waiting to trap him and to shoot down the people on the plea of suppressing a revolt against the state. Sheikh Mujib spoke in a thundering voice but in a masterly well-calculated restrained language. His historic declaration in the meeting was: "Our struggle this time is for freedom. Our struggle this time is for independence." To deny the Pakistani military an excuse for a crackdown, he took care to put forward proposals for a solution of the crisis in a constitutional way and kept the door open for negotiations.

The crackdown, however, did come on March 25 when the junta arrested Sheikh Mujib for the last time and whisked him away to West Pakistan for confinement for the entire duration of the liberation war. In the name of suppressing a rebellion the Pakistani military let loose hell on the unarmed civilians throughout Bangladesh and perpetrated a genocide killing no less than three million men, women and children, raping women in hundreds of thousands and destroying property worth billions of taka. Before their ignominious defeat and surrender they, with the help of their local collaborators, killed a large number of intellectuals, university professors, writers, doctors, journalists, engineers and eminent persons of other professions. In pursuing a scorch-earth policy they virtually destroyed the whole of the country’s infrastructure. But they could not destroy the indomitable spirit of the freedom fighters nor could they silence the thundering voice of the leader. Tape recordings of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s 7th March speech kept on inspiring his followers throughout the war.

Return and Reconstruction: Forced by international pressure and the imperatives of its own domestic predicament, Pakistan was obliged to release Sheikh Mujib from its jail soon after the liberation of Bangladesh and on 10 January 1972 the great leader returned to his beloved land and his admiring nation.

But as he saw the plight of the country his heart bled and he knew that there would be no moment of rest for him. Almost the entire nation including about ten million people returning from their refuge in India had to be rehabilitated, the shattered economy needed to be put back on the rail, the infrastructure had to be rebuilt, millions had to be saved from starvation and law and order had to be restored. Simultaneously, a new constitution had to be framed, a new parliament had to be elected and democratic institutions had to be put in place. Any ordinary mortal would break down under the pressure of such formidable tasks that needed to be addressed on top priority basis. Although simple at heart, Sheikh Mujib was a man of cool nerves and of great strength of mind. Under his charismatic leadership the country soon began moving on to the road to progress and the people found their long-cherished hopes and aspirations being gradually realized.

Assassination: But at this critical juncture, his life was cut short by a group of anti-liberation reactionary forces who in a pre-dawn move on 15 August 1975 not only assassinated him but 23 of his family members and close associates. Even his 10 year old son Russel’s life was not spared by the assassins. The only survivors were his two daughters, Sheikh Hasina - now the country’s Prime Minister - and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, who were then away on a visit to Germany. In killing the father of the Nation, the conspirators ended a most glorious chapter in the history of Bangladesh but they could not end the great leader’s finest legacy- the rejuvenated Bengali nation. In a fitting tribute to his revered memory, the present government has declared August 15 as the national mourning day. On this day every year the people would be paying homage to the memory of a man who became a legend in his won lifetime. Bangabandhu lives in the heart of his people. Bangladesh and Bangabandhu are one and inseparable. Bangladesh was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s vision and he fought and died for it.My practical experience, some of new leaders of BNP (retired amla) wants to be leader. They want to show something to Khaleda Zia in strike period. Want to be talk of the day as like Sadek Hossain Khoka. Khoka hold liquid tomato pack with him and blasted in due time while police caught him on the streets. Remember people? Shamsher Mobin Choudhury Beer Bikram Freedom fighter, I salute for his contribution, but I enjoyed his acting on strike period with police SI. He want to be arrested then news will be like this “Beer Bikram Shamsher Mobin Choudhury didn’t relief from the police tortured.

Good attitude but no need to do this simple acting for growing the attraction of Khaleda. Next time he will be foreign Minister if BNP comes to the power.

BANGABANDHU SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN DEDICATED :SHEIKH HASINA

BANGABANDHU SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN DEDICATED 

his life to establishing a democratic, peaceful and exploitation-free society called "Sonar Bangla" - Golden Bengal. He sacrificed his life to liberate the Bangalee nation, which had been groaning under the colonial and imperialist yoke for nearly 1,000 years. He is the founding father of the Bangalee nation, generator of Bangalee nationalism and creator of the sovereign state of Bangladesh.

My father spent nearly half his life behind bars and yet with extraordinary courage and conviction he withstood numerous trials and tribulations during the long period of his political struggle. During his imprisonment, he stood face to face with death on at least two occasions, but never for a moment did he waver.

As a daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I heard many tales about him from my grandfather and grandmother. He was born on Mar. 17, 1920 in Tungipara, in what was then the British Raj. During the naming ceremony my great-grandfather predicted that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would be a world-famous name.

My father grew up rural - amid rivers, trees, birdsong. He flourished in the free atmosphere inspired by his grandparents. He swam in the river, played in the fields, bathed in the rains, caught fish and watched out for birds' nests. He was lanky, yet played football. He liked to eat plain rice, fish, vegetables, milk, bananas and sweets. His care and concern for classmates, friends and others was well-known. He gave away his tiffin to the hungry, clothes to the naked, books to the needy and other personal belongings to the poor. One day, my grandfather told me, he gave his clothes to a poor boy and came home in his shawl.

At the age of 7, he began his schooling, though an eye ailment forced a four-year break from his studies. He married at the age of 11 when my mother was 3. He demonstrated leadership from the beginning. Once in 1939, he led classmates to demand repair of the school's roof - just when the premier of then undivided Bengal happened to be in town. Despite a deep involvement in politics, in 1946 he obtained a BA.

Bangabandhu was blessed from boyhood with leadership, indomitable courage and great political acumen. He played an active role in controlling communal riots during the India-Pakistan partition. He risked his life for the cause of truth and justice. He rose in protest in 1948 against the declaration of Urdu as the state language of Pakistan and was arrested the following year. He pioneered the movement to establish Bangla as the state language. In 1966, he launched a six-point program for the emancipation of Bangalees. In 1969, my father was acclaimed Bangabandhu, Friend of Bengal. His greatest strength (and weakness) was his "love for the people." He is an essential part of the emotional existence of all Bangalees.

The appearance of Bangladesh on the world map in 1971 was the culmination of a long-suppressed national urge. On Mar. 7, 1971, my father addressed a mammoth public meeting in Dhaka and declared: "The struggle now is the struggle for our emancipation, the struggle now is the struggle for Independence." He sent a wireless message, moments after a crackdown by the Pakistani army, declaring the Independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of Mar. 26. The world knows he courted arrest - and yet Bangabandhu emerged as the unquestioned leader of a newborn country.

Once in power, my father pursued a non-aligned, independent foreign policy based on peaceful coexistence. Its basic tenet: "Friendship to all, malice to none." He advocated world peace and declared his support for all freedom struggles. He supported the concept of a "Zone of Peace" in the Indian Ocean. In 1974, he was awarded the Julio Curie Prize for his devotion to the cause of peace.

But at a time when Bangladesh was emerging as an advocate for oppressed nations, his foes assassinated him on Aug. 15, 1975. My mother and three brothers were also killed. Even my younger brother Sheikh Russel, who was then nine, was not spared. The only survivors were my younger sister Sheikh Rehana and myself; we were on a trip to Germany.

Consequently, the political ideals for which Bangladesh sacrificed three million of her finest sons and daughters were trampled, and Bangladesh became a puppet in the hands of imperialism and autocracy. By assassinating Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the conspirators wanted to stop the country's march to freedom, democracy, peace and development. The process of law and justice were not permitted to take their course; human rights were violated. It is, therefore, the solemn responsibility of freedom- and peace-loving people to help ensure the trial of the plotters and killers of this great leader, my father.

Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is the prime minister of Bangladesh.