"The blood of our martyrs did not go in vain and it’ll never be, and that is the proven truth. We gained our independence in exchange for the blood of millions of martyrs," she said while virtually addressing a discussion meeting marking the Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Awami League organised the programme at its Bangabandhu Avenue central office.
Making independence meaningful
PM Hasina, also the chief of the ruling party, vowed to make the hard-won liberation meaningful.
"We’ll deliver the results of the independence to all doors, this is our promise," she said.
She mentioned that the essence of development of the government is to provide basic rights, food, cloths, homes, treatment and education, for all people starting from rural areas.
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"We’re taking our plans from there, we’re working accordingly so that Bangladesh can get rid of hunger and poverty, and become the Bangladesh that was dreamt by the Father of the Nation, [so that the] people of the country can make their lives meaningful, developed and prosperous," she said.
Bangabandhu and Language Movement
Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on protecting the country's own culture and tradition.
"Language Movement was not just a movement for language, it was the movement for our overall attainment as Bengalee nation, he (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) did that and we have to move forward maintaining it," she said.
She briefly described the contribution and role of the Father of the Nation in the Language Movement and requested all to go through the Intelligence Branch reports of Pakistan which are being publishing gradually in form of books.
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‘Preserve all languages’
Talking about the establishment of the International Mother Language Institute, she said that a great task has been put on the shoulder of the country to preserve all languages irrespective of their size.
“Create scope for research (for the researchers). This is the biggest-ever institution of this kind for preserving mother languages. There’s no instance of preservation like this. We’ve done that," she said.
Regarding the assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975 the Prime Minister said that the spirit of the Independence was destroyed through this killing.
"The vested quarter and killers who never believed in the liberation of the country were always busy to make their own fates, not that of the country's people," she said.
AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader delivered the introductory speech at the programme from 23 Bangabandhu Avenue while its Publicity and Publication sectary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap conducted it from Ganobhaban.
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Presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, joint secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Religious Affairs Secretary Advocate Sirajul Mostafa, Woman Affairs Secretary Meher Afroj Chumki, Cultural Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Dhaka South unit of AL president Abu Ahammad Mannafi and Dhaka North unit of AL president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman also spoke.
One minute silence was observed to show respect to all martyrs for establishing independent Bangladesh and democracy in the country.