Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia should be tried in public for welcoming convicted war criminals into their cabinets.

‘Today, we have to create awareness for holding the trial of Zia and Khaleda Zia in public for making convicted war criminals ministers,’ she said while addressing a reminiscence meeting at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh in the capital.

Awami League’s Dhaka North and South units arranged the meeting on the occasion of National Mourning Day.

The Prime Minister regretted that Khaleda Zia had awarded the national flag, which was earned through the blood of millions of martyrs, to the war criminals. ‘Those who had been made ministers by Khaleda Zia were hanged as convicted war criminals,’ she said.

Posing a question, Sheikh Hasina said, ‘What should be the punishment of those who made the war criminals ministers. Country’s people will have to think about it. Today, we’ve to create awareness among all that Zia and Khaleda Zia need to be tried in public for making war criminals ministers.’

Talking about militancy and terrorism, she said Bangladesh will surely be free from this social menace.

She also quipped that the BNP chief sheds crocodiles’ tears whenever intelligence agencies find out militants and terrorists, and law enforcement agencies take prompt action and whenever they are killed. ‘What will she do if they are caught alive? Would she worship them?’ she said.

As the BNP chairperson stressed the arrest of militants alive to know their roots, the Prime Minister said there is no need to find their roots. ‘Instead, it has to be inquired whether the root came from the person who is vocal in favour of them.’

She also observed that those who patronised and awarded the Bangabandhu killers and those who can make the war criminals ministers are involved in terrorism and militancy. ‘They won’t be spared. People will put them on trial one day, Inshah Allah.’

Describing various measures taken during the brief tenure of Bangabandhu after the independence, she said if Bangabandhu had lived three to four years more, the situation of Bangladesh would have been very different.

In an emotion-charged voice, the Prime Minister said Ziaur Rahman had promulgated indemnity ordinance to protect the killers, and awarded them with posting in Bangladesh missions abroad. He rehabilitated the war criminals and gave them opportunity to do politics in Bangladesh, she said.

Hasina said her only aim is to bring smile to the faces of poor, distressed and oppressed people of the country for whom her entire family sacrificed their lives.

She called upon all to work together to turn Bangladesh into a golden country as dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The Prime Minister urged the leaders and workers of her party to take a vow to strengthen it and build a nation which will be free from poverty, hunger, illiteracy free digital as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.

AL presidium member Sahara Khatun MP, AL joint secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL Dhaka North City unit president AKM Rahmatullah, MP, Food Minister Qamrul Islam, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan, AL Dhaka North City unit general secretary Sadek Khan and South City unit general secretary Shahe Alam Murad, among others, also spoke at the discussion.