Root out 'weeds'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called for removing all the "weeds" from Awami League and Chhatra League to build the organisations based on Bangabandhu's ideology.

"As the men of Bangabandhu's ideals and principles, you need to clear the weeds from all your works and build the organisations [AL, BCL]," she told a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

The BCL organised the discussion on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.

The PM said the collaborators and flatterers of the defeated force are still there in the country.

Bangabandhu in his write-ups said Bangladesh's land is very fertile where trees and weeds grow up so easily, she added. "We've to clear the weeds so that the useful trees could grow easily."

Hasina, also the AL chief, said two types of politics are prevailing in the country now -- one is being used as a money-making tool illegally and another is devoted to people's welfare. "We are doing the second type of politics… being a politician, it's the greatest achievement for one to earn the trust, confidence and love of people."

About the August 15 bloodbath that killed most of her family members, she said it was not just a killing of a family. Rather, the target was to destroy the nation's independence and victory, she noted.

That's why the killers also assassinated the four national leaders behind bars as they conducted the Liberation War and earned the victory for the nation.

She said propaganda had been spread against the AL. "The propaganda was so planned that it seemed Awami League committed a great sin by liberating the country… Awami League turned out to be the greatest enemy of the country."

The AL chief said the defeated forces had spread the propaganda as Bangabandhu started the trial of war criminals. Ziaur Rahman, however, stopped the trial and rehabilitated them by amending the constitution, she added.

"After 75, it seemed that Bangladesh was not an independent country anymore… there was a bid to make it a colony again."

About Khaleda Zia's birthday celebrations on August 15, the PM said she celebrates a fake birthday because she never believes in Bangladesh's liberation and independence.

"She [Khaleda] had been with the occupational force, she was the collaborator of that force… their defeat caused pain to her. To express solidarity with the occupational force, she celebrates her birthday on August 15 though it's not her birthday..."

AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Prof Dr Sultana Shafi and Dr Fakhrul Alam of Dhaka University, among others, spoke at the programme, with BCL President M Saifur Rahman Sohag in the chair.

Jakir Hossain, BCL general secretary, conducted the programme.