Senior Reporter / The Legalvoice24.com
DHAKA, Dec 14, 2022 – Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today said her party never violates human rights rather protects it, criticizing efforts of several countries which are out branding Bangladesh negatively despite the fact that they are protecting human rights of the killers.
“The Awami League never violates human rights. It will give protection. AL ensures rights of the people,” she said while presiding over a discussion meeting organized by the AL at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital city this afternoon marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day.
The Prime Minister said military dictator and founder of the BNP Ziaur Rahman had initiated the culture of disappearances and killings in Bangladesh with killing hundreds of armed forces officers and soldiers in jails across the country and firing ground in Dhaka cantonment alongside killings numerous AL leaders and workers.
Relatives of the victims have yet to get bodies of their near and dear ones, she said, adding that Khaleda Zia had followed the same path that her husband did and killed thousands of AL leaders and activists.
“In which mouth, the BNP is now talking about the disappearances and killings,” she questioned.
Sheikh Hasina said after returning to the country in 1981 she even did not want to seek justice for killing of her father, mother and brothers on August 15 carnage in 1975 due to enactment of the indemnity ordinance which gave exemption to the killers of the charges despite the country’s constitution guarantees of getting justice to this end.
Ziaur Rahman enacted the indemnity ordinance to give impunity to the killers of the Father of the Nation and most of his family members and rewarded them giving postings in various foreign missions.
“Is it not a violation of the human rights to save killers by enacting law and rewarding them (killers) with postings at foreign missions?,” she asked .
The Prime Minister said she can also question where her human rights was when she was barred from filing case in the grisly murder of her father, mother and brothers.
Military dictator Ziaur Rahman and her wife Khaleda Zia rehabilitated the killers of Bangabandhu and war criminals in the politics of Bangladesh by making them ministers, lawmakers and advisers.
“I can also say where my human rights are, why we could not see the bodies of my parents. Why were we not getting information on our parents? Why were we not allowed to come to the country for six years. Why did Ziaur Rahman not renew the passport of my younger sister Sheikh Rehana? Will they (BNP) give its answer?, “ she questioned.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has repeatedly requested the USA and Canada governments to hand over the killers of Bangabandhu, but they did not pay heed to it.
“Rashed who killed four-year old Sukanto, three cousins , my uncle (husband of paternal aunty) and shot at my paternal aunty after storming their house on August 15 in 1975, is now staying in the USA. We have requested time and again to return the convicted killer to us,” she said.
The premier also said killer Noor who was involved in the killing of the Father of the Nation, his wife, three sons and two daughters-in-laws, is now in Canada.
“They (America and Canada) are not returning the convicted accused Rashed and Major (sacked) Noor as they are protecting the human rights of the killers,” she said.
The Prime Minister indicated anxiety of some countries about the human rights violation of criminals, saying, “They are busy with ensuring human rights of any terrorist or militant or drug dealer who was killed. But, there is no discussion that they (criminals) have violated human rights.”
At the meeting, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader, MP, gave the address of welcome.
AL Presidium Members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, MP and Abdur Rahman, Joint General Secretaries Mahbul Alam Hanif,MP, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organising Secretary Advocate Afzal Hossain, Heath and Population Affairs Secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana, Dhaka South and North City AL General Secretaries Humayun Kabir and SM Mannan Kochi, among others, addressed the meeting.
