June 11 is a historic day of joy and victory for those who are free-minded, independent-minded, who carry the spirit of the liberation war, are ready to make the highest sacrifice for the sake of the development and progress of Bangladesh, the dreamer of independent Bangladesh, the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the successor of the spirit of democracy, Sheikh Hasina. A day to give thanks to the great creator.
On June 11, 2008, after 11 months of imprisonment, Sheikh Hasina, the worthy successor of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was released. Democracy is freed through his release. Because democracy was blocked that day in the name of arresting Sheikh Hasina. 1/11 The so-called caretaker government targeted Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia on that day in the name of minus (minus two formula) to wipe out the politics of Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina and Awami League.
These targets and plans are not sudden. Their conspiracy to disrupt the democratic progress of Bangladesh, to destroy the spirit of the liberation war and to return the independent sovereign Bangladesh to the ideology of Pakistan has been going on for a long time. The conspiracy started with the assassination of the great architect of freedom, the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
July 16, 2007 was a day of terrible challenge for the political leadership of Awami League President Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina. In continuation of the long-standing conspiracy against Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, a futile attempt was made that day to dislodge today’s popular Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the place of people’s trust and love. Although that conspiracy failed due to the protesting love of the immense people of this country. And that is why the day is memorable.
The conspirators planned to kill the democracy of this country by sending the leader Sheikh Hasina to jail. Therefore, this black day in history is celebrated as ‘Democracy Blocked Day’ by Mujibadarsh leaders and the vast majority of democracy loving people.
In the early hours of July 16, 2007, the military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin-Mainuddin arrested Bangabandukanya from her residence Sudhasdan in Dhanmondi in a case of extortion. Sudhasdan was surrounded by two thousand members of various forces for the arrest. People’s leader Sheikh Hasina offered Fajr prayers in between. Sheikh Hasina, wearing a white saree, wants to know from the joint forces why she is being arrested? What is military rule in the country? There were no answers from the law enforcement officers.
Several cases were filed against Awami League president Sheikh Hasina before her arrest. He was taken to the CMM court in Dhaka in a police jeep from home. Due to the irresponsibility of the police force assigned to protect him in the court area, he became a victim of Najehal. On that day, standing in the CMM court, Sheikh Hasina addressed the trust and love of Bengalis and gave a speech in legal language for 36 minutes against the unjust behavior of the government.
That very morning, countless political activists rushed to the court premises to protest the injustice, disregarding their lives. The court rejected Sheikh Hasina’s bail application. After that, Sheikh Hasina was taken to a special prison next to the Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan. At that time, a special judge’s court started trial proceedings against him in several cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Later, Sheikh Hasina filed a writ in the High Court challenging the validity of those cases. The High Court stayed the proceedings of the cases.
Sheikh Hasina could not be detained in the dark cell of the prison because of the trust of the people’s leader Sheikh Hasina on the leaders and activists of Trinamool and the countrymen. Sheikh Hasina said in the letter that day, truth will win. Because of that victory, Sheikh Hasina expressed her gratitude to the people of Bangladesh after being freed on June 11, 2008. The people of Bengal have repaid the love of Sheikh Hasina not once but three times in a row by bringing her to state power.
After the arrest, there was a storm of protest in the country and abroad demanding the release of Bangabandhu’s daughter. When almost 11 months have passed, Sheikh Hasina’s personal physician Dr. Syed Modachher Ali demanded that he be treated in the United States. The imprisoned Sheikh Hasina was sent to the United States for eight weeks on June 11, 2008 for better treatment. There he received ear and eye treatment. After returning to the country, the conspiracy continued with him.
After being imprisoned for almost a year, Mansakanya of democracy was imprisoned, democracy was blocked. The struggle for the right to vote and rice was trampled under the banner of the so-called caretaker government. However, although Bangabandhu was arrested and imprisoned in a false and conspiracy case filed by loyalists of the undemocratic caretaker government of 1/11, she was later acquitted of that charge through the due process of the highest court of the country. In the end, the truth won, lakhs of activists joined the liberation march. Blocked democracy is freed.
At that time, the anxiety of the people standing in front of Sheikh Hasina’s sub-jail, the death of four people in different parts of the country after hearing the news of her arrest, the anxiety of various media changed the political scenario. Because Sheikh Hasina was brave and determined in court; Concerned for country and people; People’s leader Sheikh Hasina was the most talented in speaking the truth. Which is possible only because Bangabandhukanya. Bangabandhukanya wrote a letter to the countrymen before her arrest. The letter spread new hope among the activists. Awami League leaders and activists are excited. He expressed his confidence in the countrymen. The letter contained instructions on what the leaders and activists should do in difficult times as democracy is blocked. The letter reads as follows-
dear countrymen,
“Take my hat. I am being arrested by the government. I don’t know where. I have struggled all my life for your democratic rights and economic freedom. I have done no wrong in my life. Still false cases have been given. Above Allah Rabbul Alamin and you countrymen I trust you. My dear countrymen, do not lose heart against injustice. I will be with you forever No matter what happens, you will continue the struggle for the people of Bengal. We will build a golden Bangla, the father of the nation.
Sheikh Hasina, 16.07.2007
This emotional letter written by Sheikh Hasina accelerated her freedom movement. Creates public opinion. A line of the letter is like a line of inimitable rebellious poetry in the ears of millions of leaders and activists.
In this inspiring letter, Sheikh Hasina urged to stand against injustice. The dedication of his leadership in the fight for democratic and economic liberation of the country was then true in the construction of words. He was accused of extortion. But after 2001 when the BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power, several cases were filed against him, but no case of extortion was ever filed. It is surprising to think that there were several times more strategists and conspirators than the litigious coalition government around that military government.
It is hard to think that Sheikh Hasina risked her life to form a caretaker government. 68 people lost their lives in the hands of BNP-Jamaat alliance terrorists and police forces. The aim of the movement was a free and fair election. Elections in which people can vote freely. Bangabandhukanya protested against the four-party alliance’s blueprint for vote rigging. Consolidating democracy by protecting people’s right to vote was also his main target.
She was arrested on that day mainly because of those who were against Sheikh Hasina’s thoughts and who feared her leadership.
Sheikh Hasina wanted to ensure transparency and accountability in the elections. That’s his crime. He lamented and said – ‘I fulfilled the demands by agitation, I reorganized the caretaker government. As soon as I spoke about early elections, I became an extortionist, I became corrupt. My place is in prison. For five years, the four-party alliance has been searching for me and my family’s corruption. Fakhruddin government got it.
Many people say that the 1/11 government started implementing the minus two formula. But what did we actually see? Awami League leaders and activists have been more victims of lawsuits and harassment. Minus two not ‘minus Sheikh Hasina’ was the ruling group’s expectation of the emergence of a third power as clear as day.
This is the story of that day, the usurers and black money owners of the country came to the political arena with the plan of forming a new party and coming to power under the government patronage. And many top leaders of Awami League were also enticed by the government to join that party. And if they did not agree, the government became desperate to make the politicians controversial to the public through the ACC, harassment cases were being filed one after another. Even though the conspiracy was not successful, they also made a table so that they would be controversial in the party later. Later Sheikh Hasina from a visionary political point of view, understanding the reality of the difficult times, pulled them closer again.
A total of 15 cases were filed against the Awami League president during the four-party coalition government period and 6 during the caretaker government period. A vested interest is using the ACC to destroy the image, tradition in the Bangabandhu family to undermine the trust and confidence of Bengalis in the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and remove her from politics.
On December 9, 2007, the ACC filed a case against Sheikh Hasina and seven people in Tejgaon police station, alleging that the foreign company NAICO had been given the opportunity to extract gas illegally. On May 5, 2008, a charge sheet was filed against 9 people in this case. When Sheikh Hasina filed a cancellation petition in the High Court in 2008 for exemption from the liability of the case, a dual bench of the High Court issued a ruling suspending the proceedings of the case on July 7. After the hearing on this rule, the court declared the case dismissed. In this way, all the cases against the public leader Sheikh Hasina ended in the legal process. The charges against him were not revealed as the cases were made out of political vendetta. For this, the High Court also directed to amend the rules of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to remove inconsistencies.
Sheikh Hasina could not be detained in the dark cell of the prison because of the trust of the people’s leader Sheikh Hasina on the leaders and activists of Trinamool and the countrymen. Sheikh Hasina said in the letter that day, truth will win. Because of that victory, Sheikh Hasina expressed her gratitude to the people of Bangladesh after her liberation on June 11, 2008. The people of Bengal have repaid the love of Sheikh Hasina not once but three times in a row by bringing her to state power. Love is requited only in love, not in anything else. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working for the welfare of the common people not only through development progress, but also through social welfare programs, especially elderly allowance, liberation war allowance, widow allowance, incentives during the Corona period, homeless shelter projects for the helpless people. Care should be taken that this bridge of love of the general people of Bengal and their last resort of trust and faith should not be burnt to ashes by the fire of someone’s personal choice and someone’s greed.
It must be remembered that 1/11 Kushil and the anti-independence gang have killed the enemy. Ahead of the upcoming National Assembly elections, domestic and foreign multifaceted activities have started. In the name of restoring democracy, there is a plan to block democracy again. Another 1/11 implementation plan is going on in the background. May 15th August or 16th July not return to this country. Trinamool leaders and activists must be united to keep the people’s leader Sheikh Hasina safe rather than the expectations of individuals, on whom Bangabandhu’s daughter herself has the most faith and trust.
Author: Former Vice President of Dhaka Journalists Union and Executive Member of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League Central Committee.
HR/JIM
