Hasina says Zia, Ershad and Khaleda’s ‘links’ to Aug 15 carnage are ‘proved’

Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia have ‘proven their links’ to the Aug 15, 1975 carnage by rewarding the killers of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina has said.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 Nov 2021, 07:35 PM
Updated : 19 Nov 2021, 07:35 PM

“The nation needs to know how Khaleda Zia, Ershad and Ziaur Rahman harboured the killers” she added. “These killers did not spare my little Russel (Hasina’s youngest brother killed in the massacre) and 4-year-old Sukanto (grandson of Abdur Rab Serniabat).”

“And they rewarded the people who carried out the killings in a planned way. Through this, they proved that they were involved with the Aug 15 killings,” the Awami League president said at her party’s Central Working Committee meeting on Friday.   

An ordinance was passed during the regime of Zia, giving indemnity to those involved with the massacre of Bangabandhu’s family. Bangabandhu’s daughters Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived the carnage as they were abroad.

Zia gave the killers jobs in embassies as well. “Ershad gave them the chance to do politics. Col Faruque was allowed to contest in presidential election,” the prime minister said. 

“Khaleda went further to put killer Col Rashid in the opposition in parliament through the Feb 15 election (of 1996) that was held without any voter. Maj Huda was also made an MP.”

Col Faruque Rahman and Col Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan are self-proclaimed murderers of the Father of the Nation. Both were hanged in 2010 in the trial of the Bangabandhu murder case after the Awami League returned to power.

Major Pasha, another killer of Bangabandhu, was given a diplomatic post by Zia. He was sacked after the Awami League repealed the indemnity ordinance. Pasha died abroad.

Hasina said Khaleda reinstated Pasha’s job and gave him his perks, letting him retire after the BNP returned to power in 2001. Pasha was also promoted posthumously.

Khaleda also brought back another accused in the Bangabandhu murder case, Khairuzzman, from abroad and made him an ambassador, according to the prime minister said. 

She said the country ‘plunged into anarchy’ after the killing of Bangabandhu. “Post-1975 Bangladesh experienced 19 coups, in which many officers and soldiers were brutally killed. And those involved with the coups were later hanged or killed in firing squad through court martial.”

Many of the families of these members of the armed forces now demand justice, Hasina said.