DHAKA, Feb 27, 2022 (BSS) - President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina today paid profound respect to the memory of Shaheed Selim and
Delwar on the occasion of their 38th martyrdom anniversary to be observed
tomorrow.
 
   In separate messages, they recalled Selim and Delwar, the meritorious
students of Dhaka University and leaders of Chhatra League, who embraced
martyrdom as they were crushed to death while leading an anti-autocracy
procession on February 28 in 1984 to restore democracy in the country.   

   In his message, President M Abdul Hamid said,"February 28 is a historic
day for the movement of restoring democracy in Bangladesh. On this day in
1984, Selim and Delwar were crushed to death by a police truck while leading
an anti-authoritarian procession."   

   Describing their killings, on the direction of the then dictator, is a
scandalous chapter in history, he deeply recalled all the martyrs who
sacrificed their lives for democracy, including the martyred student leaders
Selim and Delwar.   

   After the death of Selim and Delwar, the procession of pro-democracy
people all over the country including Dhaka came down to the streets to
protest it, he added.   

   In continuation of that, the head of the state said that the fall of
dictatorship was accelerated and democracy was re-established in Bangladesh
in 1990 and people have got back their basic rights.   

   He hoped that all will try to continue the progress of this democracy as
many people had shed their blood and sacrificed their lives for the
restoration of democracy.   

   In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, "The greatest Bengali
of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman risked
his life to establish an independent-sovereign state for the people of East
Bengal."   

   "It is a disgrace to us as a nation that he (Bangabandhu) had to give his
life on August 15 in 1975 at the hands of local cronies of Pakistanis," she
said.   

   At the same time Bengalis lost their self-esteem, she added.   

   After the brutal assassination of the father of the nation and almost his
family, the dictators started writing the fate of the people of this country
with the sting of their boots and bayonets, she continued.    

   "They couldn't kill us because we two sisters were abroad. For six long
years we have had to stay abroad as refugees," she said.   

   She said that as soon as she returned to the country on May 17, 1981, she
started fighting to change the destiny of the people of this country.    

   "We led the movement for the establishment of democracy by ending the
dictatorship in the country," she continued.   

   Paying deep respects to memoirs of Selim and Delwar, she said even on this
day in 1984, the streets of Dhaka were stained with the blood of Chhatra
League leaders HM Ibrahim Selim and Kazi Delwar Hossain.   

   On that day, a large number of leaders and workers of Chhatra League, Juba
League and Awami League joined the anti-authoritarian procession of Sramik
Karmachari Oikya Parishad, she said, adding that the procession started from
Madhur Canteen with police trucks in front and behind.    

   When the procession reached Phulbaria area in the city, Selim of Bauphal
in Patuakhali district and Delwar of Bhandaria in Pirojpur district were
crushed to death by police truck at the direction of the then dictatorial
government, she continued.   

   Besides, many students and AL party leaders and workers were also injured,
she said.   

   The great self-sacrifices accelerated the fierce movement of the pro-
democracy people against the then dictatorship, she said, the debt of their
blood those lost their lives in the struggle for restoration of democracy,
including Selim and Delwar, will never be repaid, she continued.   

   Both the president and the premier sought the salvation of the souls of
all the martyrs of the anti-authoritarian movement and extended their
heartfelt condolences to their bereaved family members.

   They wished all the programmes taken on the occasion of the 38th martyrdom
anniversary of Selim and Delwar a success.