Staff Reporter:
‘Ganatantro Mukti Dibash (Free Democracy Day)’ will be observed in the country today marking the fall of the then autocratic ruler in 1990.
On the eve of the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday, in a message, greeted the countrymen, describing them as “sentinel of democracy”.
The 6th December is a significant day in the history of restoring democracy, she said, adding that on this day in 1990, the autocratic government had fallen down.
“Bangladesh Awami League spearheaded a long campaign to restore democracy uprooting the autocratic regime to establish the people’s fundamental rights and the country’s people spontaneously took part in the movement and shed their blood,” said the premier.
In the days following the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the people’s right to vote and democratic values were destroyed, she said.
A reign of terror was established after distorting the glorious history of the Liberation War,” Sheikh Hasina said.
“We struggled for a long time to establish the people’s fundamental and voting rights as well as democ-racy. The people of the country took part in the movement spontaneously and many of them including Jubo League leaders Nur Hossain, Nurul Huda, Babul, Fattah, Chhatra League leaders Selim-Delwar, Peshajibi leader Dr Shamsul Alam Khan Milon and Kishoreganj’s Bajitpur Khetmojur leader Aminul Huda Tito sacrificed their lives to free democracy from the grip of the autocratic ruler,” she said.
As a result of the continued agitation, the autocratic ruler surrendered to the mass movement and was forced to resign on December 6 in 1990, she said.
In exchange of the sacrifice of many martyrs, the right to vote was re-established in Bangladesh, she added.
The premier paid respect to all martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect the democratic rights of the people.”
Since getting responsibility of running the state affairs in 2009, the Awami League government has been working relentlessly to give the democracy a firm-footing by strengthening its foundation, she said, add-ing that the government is committed to upholding democracy, constitution, rule of law and human rights in the country.
She said the 15th amendment to the constitution has plugged the path of grabbing the power illegally.
Anti-democratic forces are still hatching conspiracy to destroy democracy, she said and urged all to work together to thwart conspiracies to strengthen the foundation of democracy and take the country’s devel-opment ahead for building a hunger-and poverty-free ‘Sonar Bangla’.
