PM's message on eve of Genocide Day: Build discrimination-free, equality-based society

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon all, including global people, to build a society based on equality and free from all kinds of discrimination and sectarianism.

"We follow Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's peace philosophy while running the country. I appeal to the people of our country and the world to build a society based on equality and free from discrimination and sectarianism," she said in a message on the eve of the Genocide Day-2024.

The prime minister said: "We do not want war and conflict; killing men, women, and children has dipped us in solemn grief. We believe in peace. If sustainable peace prevails, the country's overall development will accelerate."

"On 25 March 1971, Pakistan Military carried out the most barbaric crackdown in Bangladesh," she said.

With a heavy heart, she remembered all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives on that most terrible night.

Swearing on their fresh blood, the brave Bangalees spirited to take up arms and fight for independence, she added.

The greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sacrificed his whole life to liberate the Bengali nation shackled for thousands of years, she said.

He was first arrested and imprisoned on 11 March 1948 while protesting to protect the dignity of the Bengali language, she said.

Since then, he led all the movements, including the language movement of '52, the twenty-one point of '54, the anti-Ayub movement of '62, the six points of '66, and the mass upsurge of '69 with great foresight, she added.

After the mass uprising, on 5 December 1969, on the death anniversary of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, he declared, 'From now on, the name of this eastern part of Pakistan will be Bangladesh only, instead of East Pakistan', Sheikh Hasina said, quoting Bangabandhu.
 
He left the minister's portfolio, organised and strengthened the party, and prepared the nation for independence, she said. 

"The BNP tarnished the proud history of the Bangalee nation by placing the perpetrators of the infernal massacre on 25 March, criminals against humanity and war criminals, and murderers of the Father of the Nation in the National Parliament," she said.

Awami League formed the government after being elected by popular mandate in 1996 after a long 21-year struggle, she said.

"We have been working tirelessly for more than fifteen years since 2008 to transform the fate of the people with their unwavering support in all elections," she said.
 
"In the meantime, we tried the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war criminals by establishing the International Crimes Tribunal," she said.

She went on to say, "We raised our voices against genocide orchestrated in any corner of the world. We are working on the principle of 'Zero Tolerance' to eradicate militancy and terrorism."
 
"We have already made Bangladesh a developing country. Bangladesh in 2041 will be 'Smart Bangladesh.' We framed the 'Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100' and implemented it. Future generations will be able to implement this plan with the amendment of their need," the premier continued.
 
She wished all the programmes on 'Genocide Day' a great success.