Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Friday said that after 15 August 1975, all efforts were made to undermine the rule of law in the country for 21 years - till Awami League came back to power under Sheikh Hasina in 1996.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government established the rule of law in the country by confronting all the wrongdoings and conspiracies," he said, at the 36th annual conference of the Bangladesh Law Society at Dhaka University premises as the chief guest.

The continuity of this rule of law must be preserved and everyone should have the spirit of the liberation war irrespective of party, the minister added.

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He said that Bangalees were kept as second-class citizens during the Pakistan period. In protest, Bangabandhu Sheik Mujimur Rahman had been struggling since 1948 to establish the status of the Bengali nation. He gave an independent-sovereign country to the people. But Bangabandhu was brutally killed by some 'black sheep' of this country. Not only that, after killing him, an 'Indemnity Ordinance' was issued that protected the killers from being brought to justice for 21 years, he added.

Association President AKM Afzal Munir presided over the event while Justice Md Jahangir Hossain of the High Court, Secretary of Law and Judiciary Department Md Golam Sarwar, Dean of Law Faculty of Dhaka University Seema Zaman, Advocate Mullah Mohammad Abu Kawshar, and others spoke.

Earlier in the morning, Huq said in his speech at the 'Fab Fest 2022' organised by Film Alliance Bangladesh (FAB) at Bangla Academy premises in the capital, that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government wants free thought to develop in the country and enact laws where freedom of thought will be ensured.