DHAKA, 17 December 2005 — Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Khaleda Zia vowed to fight terrorists saying bombs and terrorism cannot halt the nation’s progress.
Speaking at a Victory Day parade in the capital yesterday, Khaleda said her government was committed to fight the terrorists.
“No one can thwart the nation’s progress through terrorism and bombing,” she said. “We must search out the bombers and give them exemplary punishment. This is my commitment to you on this auspicious victory day.”
At least 8,000 troops patrolled the streets of Dhaka as the country celebrated the 34th anniversary of the victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war of independence. The country has been on heightened alert since August when militants calling for the imposition of Shariah law launched a wave of deadly bombings.
Under a blanket of security, Khaleda and Hasina, the leader of the main opposition party, laid wreaths at a war memorial for the dead near Dhaka.
Hasina, who leads the Awami League, urged countrymen to unite and give a “big push to end Khaleda’s rule” — which otherwise will not end until next October. The opposition says the government has failed to contain militancy. An officer with the elite Rapid Action Battalion security force said intelligence reports indicated there could be attacks on the Victory Day.
“We have deployed more than 8,000 troops in the city to ensure maximum security for the people but we have not had any incidents reported,” city police chief Mizanur Rahman added. Police have linked the banned Jamatul Mujahedeen group to the bomb attacks which have killed at least 24 people plus four suicide bombers since August.
Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation on Dec. 16, 1971, when Pakistan signed a treaty of surrender to a combined Bangladeshi and Indian force.
The surrender by Pakistan, then known as West Pakistan, followed a bloody nine-month war of independence. Modern Bangladesh was the eastern part of Bengal in British India until independence in 1947 when the subcontinent was carved up and it became known as East Pakistan.
