Awami League suspends all political programmes

The ruling Awami League (AL) today suspended all political programmes hours after the government declared a nationwide 10-day holiday shutting down government and private offices in the wake of COVID-19.

"The world is now going through a severe crisis with the deadly outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. We have decided to suspend all political programmes to this end," AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said this in a statement issued here today.

The statement was issued on the eve of the Genocide Day on March 25.

He said March 25 is a stigmatized day in human civilization.

On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani armed forces launched 'Operation Searchlight' and unleashed brutal genocide on unarmed Bengalis.

Quader said the 'Operation Searchlight' was a blueprint for eliminating a generation.

Setting some specific targets for the operation, the Awami League general secretary said, "General Tikka Khan had said I want the soil of East Pakistan, not the people."

For that reason, he said, the brutal black nightmare came in the Bangali nation.

As the Pakistani troops had swooped on freedom loving Bangalees on March 25, then the greatest Bangali of all times Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26, he said.

Quader said responding to the call of Bangabandhu, people irrespective of religions, castes and creeds had jumped into the War of Liberation.

"The heinous genocide launched by Pakistani occupation forces began on the black night of March 25 and continued during the entire War of Liberation," he said.

He said the long waited independence was achieved with sacrificing 30 lakh martyrs and honour of two lakh mothers and sisters.

The minister, however, said a resolution was adopted in Parliament unanimously on March 11, 2017 to observe March 25 as the Genocide Day.

He urged the people to fight the novel coronavirus with patience and caution, humanity and patriotism.