BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has called for the speedy trial of the killings during the July uprising and for state recognition of the martyrs.
She also underscored the need for ensuring dignified rehabilitation and a secure future for each of the families of those killed.
She made the call in a video message at an event on the July uprising, national unity, and democratic journey at the Bangladesh-China friendship conference hall on Tuesday.
Khaleda Zia said for 16 years, the ruling Awami League had sought to permanently destroy democracy and impose one-party rule through relentless oppression, arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
But the student-people uprising overthrew fascism, creating an opportunity to rebuild Bangladesh anew.
Paying tribute to those who were killed and expressing sympathy for the injured, she said, “The nation will forever remember their sacrifice.”
The BNP chief further called for preparing a comprehensive list of those subjected to enforced disappearance, murder, and extrajudicial killings during the Awami League regime.
“We must now seize this opportunity to institutionalise democratic system, ensure employment opportunities, protect public safety, and above all, defend the sovereignty of Bangladesh at any cost,” she added.
Khaleda Zia mentioned the importance of unity, saying the blood of the brave and the tears of mothers must not go in vain.
The event was organised by the BNP and inaugurated by the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman. Families of victims, including those of Shaheed Abu Sayeed, Shaheed Mir Mughda, Shaheed Wasim, and Bishwajit, were present, alongside others who lost loved ones to killings and enforced disappearances.
Source Courtesy: prothomalo.com
