DHAKA, April 16, 2024 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the countrymen to work together with the government for building a non-communal, hunger-and poverty-free, developed and prosperous 'Sonar Bangla' cum 'Smart Bangladesh' as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In a message on the eve of the historic 'Mujibnagar Day', the Prime Minister said April 17, the historic 'Mujibnagar Day,' is a memorable day in the national life of Bangalees.
 
On this day in 1971, she said, the first provisional government of the independent Bangladesh had taken oath at a mango orchard at Baidyanathtala in the then Meherpur sub-division.

Meherpur turned into the capital of the provisional government and from that day, the place became familiar as 'Mujibnagar', she added.

The premier said within two hours after the completion of formalities of the Mujibnagar Government, Pakistani Air Force occupied Meherpur by carrying out bombings and attacks.

As a result, the provisional government was bound to take shelter in India and continued its activities from there, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said brutal killings and mayhem were continued in East Bengal after confining Bangabandhu to West Pakistani jail.

She said the anti-liberation evil forces assassinated Father of the Nation and most of his family members on August 15, 1975 within three and a half years of the country's independence.

Four national leaders who led the Liberation War were brutally killed inside the jail on November 3, she said, adding that then there was no democracy in Bangladesh for long 21 years.

"After the formation of government in 1996, we have brought the killers of Father of the Nation and four national leaders to justice," she said.

The Prime Minister said then the trial of crimes against humanity and war criminals were carried out through the constitution of 'International Crimes Tribunal' after the formation of the government again in 2009.

"Since then, we have made unprecedented progress in all indexes of development in the last fifteen and a half years," she said, adding that poverty rate came down to 18.7 percent and the government adopted 'zero tolerance policy' to eliminate militancy and terrorism.

"On the Mujibnagar Day, it is my call to all...our independence that was achieved in exchange of lives of three million heroic freedom fighters and chastity of two lakh mothers-sisters will have to be upheld. We have to work together to build a non-communal, hunger- and poverty-free, developed and prosperous 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she added.
 
"Insha Allah, tomorrow's Bangladesh will be a 'Smart Bangladesh' with smart population, smart economy, smart society and smart government system," the premier said.

The Prime Minister wished success of all programmes marking the Mujibnagar Day.