Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all for making collective efforts to get global recognition of the genocide that took place during 1971 Liberation War in 1971.
“Today is the March 25, the day when Pakistani occupation forces launched genocide on unarmed Bangalees and killed millions of people in 1971. We would have to make stride to achieve international recognition of the genocide during the Liberation War of 1971,” she was quoted by BSS as saying.
Hasina’s remarks came while addressing an independence award-giving ceremony in Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the capital on Monday (Mar 25).
The government has already taken some initiatives to this respect, she said before urging everyone to work in unison to reach the benefits of the hard- earned independence to every home being imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War and the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Whenever, we come to power, we try to develop the socio-economic sector of the country at the quickest possible time to make Bangladesh a developed one free from hunger and poverty as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said.
Today’s development in Bangladesh with graduation to a middle income country from least development one becomes possible for Awami League government’s relentless efforts of the last decade, she said, adding “We are going to achieve 8 percent GDP (gross domestic product) this year and now the per capita income is $ 1909 which was $ 1751 earlier,”.
Highlighting different initiatives taken by Bangabandhu during his tenure at various sectors including education, economic and social development, she said seven percent growth was achieved in 1975 before assassination of Father of the Nation along with most of his family members, read the report.
Bangabandhu got only three and half a years after achieving the independence in 1971, but rebuilt the war-ravaged country and transformed it in a rather short period, she said, adding, “If Bangabandhu was alive, the country could have been developed between five to 10 years after the independence.”
But, the anti-liberation forces and their international cliques had assassinated Father of the Nation as a part of their conspiracy as they had realised that Bangladesh would soon achieve economic emancipation under his visionary leadership, she mentioned.
The economic development was stopped with Bangabandhu’s assassination on Aug 15 in 1975, she said.
“We came to power after 21 years and started building Bangladesh as a developed country following Bangabandhu’s footsteps and ideals,” she said.
The premier handed over ‘Independence Award-2019’to 13 eminent persons and an organisation in recognition of their outstanding contribution in their respective fields at the function organized by the Cabinet Division.
The recipients are – martyred intellectual Mufazzal Haider Chowdhury (posthumous), martyred ATM Zafar Alam (posthumous), AKM Mozammel Haque, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Kazi Misbahun Nahar, Abdul Khalek (posthumous), Professor Mohammad Khaled (posthumous) and Barrister Shawkat Ali Khan (posthumous) in independence and Liberation War, Brigadier General Dr Nurun Nahar Fatema Begum in medical science, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad in social service, Murtaza Bashir in culture, Hasan Azizul Haque in literature, Professor Dr Hasina Khan in research and training and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) in science and technology.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam conducted the function and read out the citations at the program.
Chief Justice, cabinet members, PM’s advisors, lawmakers, chiefs of the three services, foreign diplomats, freedom fighters, and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.
Each award recipient was given a medal weighing 50 grams of 18 karat gold, Tk 300,000 and a citation.