BANGLADESH

The prime minister has urged the people to resist the 'anti-liberation forces' paid by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and trying to save war criminals.

"I wonder how they can take money from the people who killed our mothers and daughters, and against whom we had waged a war. I wonder how they can take money for protecting war criminals," said Sheikh Hasina in parliament on Wednesday while taking part in a motion on the historic March 7 speech.

She made those remarks apparently referring to a news item appearing in a national Bangla newspaper on Mar 4 that alleged BNP chief Khaleda Zia took money from ISI before the 5th national election.

Hasina also recalled the criticism she had faced after terming the 1991 election 'an election of fine rigging' in her reaction to BNP then winning the polls.

"They had become victorious in the 91 election by using the money paid by ISI. Those who had criticised me at that time now understood how true that was," she added.

Drawing attention of the House, she said those in charge of Pakistan military and ISI at that time have also made confessions in a court of law under oath on the matter.

She also sought to stress the point that the newspaper which published the story 'is preferred by BNP'.

"Those who announce movements in the months like Dec and March do not believe in our independence. They are there just to protect war criminals. Everybody has to be aware of their betrayal," she added.

The prime minister went on to say that Bengalees who helped war criminals during the independence war are the real war criminals.

"Ziaur Rahman killed the Father of the Nation, scrapped all the laws to try them and finally released the war criminals."

Some disgruntled military officers in a coup killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members in 1975, four years after winning the war of independence. Ziaur Rahman became the president of the country within two years of the assassination.

Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Suranjit Sen Gupta, Mujibul Haque, Hasanul Haque Inu, Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Latif Siddiqui also participated in the motion.