National

Bomb attackers should be tried like mass killers of `71: Amu

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Saturday said the evil quarter which is killing people through petrol bombs and arson attacks in the name of democratic movement should be tried identifying them as the mass-killers of 1971."The evil forces are trying to make Bangladesh as new Pakistan . . . The deep-rooted conspiracy of the same quarter to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina still continues," he said while inaugurating a `Blood Donation Programme` on Dhaka University campus.Bangladesh-India Moitree Samity organized the programme at DU Teachers and Students Centre (TSC) with president of the organization Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury in the chair.Recalling the contribution of neighbouring India during the War of Liberation, he said the longstanding relation between Bangladesh and India started through immense sacrifice of Indian nationals as about 11,000 Indian soldiers also made their supreme sacrifice along with 30 lakh Bangalese."Not only that, India gave shelter at least one crore refugees inside their territory and also imparted training with necessary arms and ammunitions to oust the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971," he mentioned.Amu, also senior Awami League leader, said people of Bangladesh will remember the contribution of India to Bangladesh forever with high opinion.The senior minister said, "The post-1975 governments exiled the spirit of Liberation War and kept some burning bilateral issues, including implementation of the historic Mujib-Indira Treaty and maritime boundary unsettled."Former secretary BMM Mojaharul Haque, secretary general of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, first secretary (political and information) to Indian High Commissioner Rajesh Uikey, Ahsan Ullah Moni and Moitree Samity general secretary Subir Kushari also spoke on the occasion.