DHAKA: Paying glowing tributes to the slain independence leader on the eve of the National Mourning Day, the President and the Prime Minister said the remaining condemned fugitives would be brought back and the court verdict against them executed for the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their resolve in their separate messages marking the National Mourning Day on the leader’s 35th death anniversary on August 15.

The president said, “Though the conspirators killed the Father of the Nation, they could not wipe out the ideals and beliefs of Bangabandhu.”

He noted that the trial of the killers of Bangabandhu has been held on the soil of Bangla after 35 years of assassination. “Today the nation is somewhat stigma-free. Now we should bring the death-sentenced fugitives back to the country in order to execute the verdict. The nation is aware that killers have no room at any corner of the world.”
    
The president said, “It is our utmost responsibility to materialise his dream of ‘Golden Bangla’ in order to build a happy and prosperous country. If we can do so, I believe, we would be able to pay our true homage to him.”

He also prayed for salvation of the departed souls of all martyrs on this Mourning Day.
    
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the “defeated forces” of the Liberation War made an abortive effort to ruin the tradition, culture and advancement of the Bangalee nation.

“Their target was to destroy the non-communal democratic fabric of Bangladesh,” she added.
 
Praying for the souls of the martyrs of the 15th August tragedy, she also said, “Military ruler Zia established stratocracy and destroyed democracy. The trial of the case for Bangabandhu’s killing was blocked by promulgation of black laws and the killers of the Father of the Nation were rewarded.”  

She said, “We have freed the nation from the stigma to some extent through executing the verdict of the Bangabandhu-killing case. Steps have been taken to bring back the remaining convicts.”

The Prime Minister disclosed that measures have also been taken to accelerate the trial of the killers of four national leaders, who were shot dead in Dhaka Central Jail amid turmoil in the political arena in a sequel to the August 15, 1975 changeover.

“As soon as the Awami League government initiated the trial of the war criminals and launched drive against the corrupt, the rejected forces started hampering development and democracy through hatching conspiracy and creating chaos,” she commented on the present situation.

The premier urged the countrymen to remain alert about the troublemakers.

BDST: 1716HRS, AUG 14, 2010