Zia took part in 25, 26 March genocide as a Pakistani army officer: PM Hasina

Prime minister and ruling Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on Monday said it is not unusual that those, who grabbed power illegally and then formed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and are still siding with Pakistanis, would not realise the historic 7 March speech of the Father of the Nation that carried the call for independence.

“After hearing comments of several BNP leaders today, I can realise that they are still siding with the Pakistanis and flattering them. So, they are finding no messages in the historic 7 March speech. But the Banglaees had understood that and taken preparation accordingly,” she said.

She was presiding over a discussion marking the Golden Jubilee of the Historic 7 March speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, organised by the Awami League, at its central office in the capital in afternoon.

Joining the programme virtually from her official Gonobhaban residence in the capital, the prime minister simultaneously said that the leaders of the BNP would not realise the language and essence of the historic 7 March speech as the party was formed by military dictator Ziaur Rahman who had killed the Father of the Nation and grabbed power violating the country’s Constitution and took part in the genocide on 25 and 26 March in 1971 as a Pakistani army officer.

In this connection, she said, “It is quite natural that the leaders of BNP will not realise the language and essence of the 7 March speech. There is nothing to be surprised about this. There is nothing to discuss about it as they are still not forgetting their old masters (Pakistanis).”

The prime minister said that the BNP leaders are now claiming that Ziaur Rahman was the announcer of the country’s independence but they have forgotten that their leader Zia had fired gunshots on the commoners in Chattogram on 25 and 26 March nights while they were putting up barricades on roads following the 7 March speech of Bangabandhu. Many of the commoners were killed in the gunshots, she added.

But the reality is that Ziaur Rahman read out the declaration of the country’s Independence announced by the Father of the Nation like many other Awami League leaders from 26 March in 1971 as it was necessary to do it by an army officer.

She added that Ziaur Rahman was captured by the students and commoners to read out the announcement while he was going to unload firearms from Swat Ship.

The prime minister said that Major Rafiqul Islam was the first officer to do it but he could not do that as he apprehended that Pakistanis would take the possession of the area of Chattogram where he ambushed.

Road transport and bridges minister and AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, MP, delivered the introductory speech at the discussion.

Former vice chancellor of Dhaka University (DU) and editor of the “Muktir Dak,” published marking the Golden Jubilee of the historic 7 March speech of Bangabandhu, professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, also spoke.

AL’s publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, MP, conducted the discussion from the Gonobhaban end.

The prime minister earlier unveiled the cover of a book titled “Muktir Dak” written on Bangabandhu’s historic March seven speech published by Yeasin Kabir Joy.

Coming down heavily on the BNP leaders, the prime minister said that the BNP had observed the day of March and they have found nothing in the historic 7 March speech though it was recognised internationally, adding, “This is the reality.”

In this connection, she said. They (BNP leaders) understand what the Pakistani occupation forces realised. There are some people in our country who do not see or understand anything.

Describing those, who failed to understand the essence of the 7 March speech, as stupid, she said that British journalist Jacob F Field selected the 7 March speech of Bangabandhu among 41 best speeches across the globe in the last 2500 years that inspired the people most.

The 7 March speech was also included in the International Memory of the World Register as document on 30 October in 2017, she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling AL told her party leaders and workers that the BNP leaders would not find the declaration of independence in the 7 March speech likewise the Pakistani occupation forces.

It was learnt from biographies of the Pakistani generals who worked in the East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, at that time that the Pakistani forces had taken all out preparation to carry out attacks on the millions of people gathered at the Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) to hear the 7 March speech of Bangabandhu, she informed.

The prime minister said that the Father of the Nation knew which language the people could understand and he spoke the same language in his speech.

She described the way of declaring the country’s independence as a strategy of war, saying that Bangabandhu was not only a good politician but also good at war strategy.

The prime minister said that Bangabandhu had given every necessary direction to conduct a guerilla war against the Pakistani occupation forces.

Recalling the memories of 7 March of 1971, Sheikh Hasina said that she along with her sister Sheikh Rehana were returning by a car to home after hearing the speech of Bangbandhu and found people jubilant with chanting a slogan “Beer Bangali Ostro Dhoro, Bangladesh Swadhin Koro” (Brave Bangali take up arms and make Bangladesh independent).

The people compelled them to come out of the car, she said adding that they later chanted the slogan with them.

She continued that after returning home at Dhanmondi 32 she found student leader Sirajul Alam Khan was telling Bangabandhu “what you told the people that they were returning home frustrated?”

But the fact remained people were returning home with a message of taking preparation for a guerilla war, she added.

After hearing Sirajul Alam Khan, she vehemently opposed it saying that he (Sirajul) was lying, the prime minister added.

Sheikh Hasina said that the comments recently made by the BNP leaders regarding the 7 March speech and the remarks made by Sirajul Alam Khan reminded them that they are still working for their Pakistani master.

She said the BNP leaders have also said many things about the Covid-19 vaccine and they are now taking the vaccine.

The prime minister asked her party leaders and workers not to pay heed to the comments of the BNP leaders and work for the welfare of the people as the AL is committed to implementing the dream of the Father of the Nation by giving the people a beautiful and improved life.