Full Speech of the Awami League President to the Students on February 5

News Desk

Bangladesh is passing through a critical juncture. A game of destruction has been unleashed against this country. Once a global role model for development and a source of wonder, Bangladesh is now being portrayed as a land of terrorism and destruction.

August is a month of mourning for us. During this month, the country has again fallen victim to conspiracies to snatch away its rights. Farmers, workers, students, citizens, government and private officials, and even the police are not spared from this game of destruction. The current violence and bloodshed are tearing the nation apart.

In 2018, the students launched a quota reform movement. I fulfilled their demands. Later, a few families of freedom fighters filed a case, and the court ruled to reinstate the quota. On behalf of the government, we filed an appeal to suspend the court order. The reality was that it was never about the quota. It was part of a meticulous design by power-hungry individuals. As part of this plan, they killed students, civilians, Awami League leaders and activists, journalists, and cultural activists. They destabilized the country, destroyed its economy, and created turmoil.

Today, students are being deprived of their right to education. Many have been expelled from universities, their certificates revoked, and academic years canceled. What is their crime? We provided scholarships and support without considering political affiliations. Those who were meritorious got jobs, regardless of their beliefs. As Prime Minister, I treated people as human beings.

A country may have a multi-party system and political diversity, but that does not mean taking away people’s rights. Education is a right for all students, regardless of political leanings. Depriving someone of this right is the gravest injustice. Unfortunately, a movement claiming to be against inequality has only created further disparity, depriving students of education, disrespecting teachers, and ruining the academic environment. Why should such a situation arise?

In 2024, police officers were brutally killed. A pregnant female police officer repeatedly pleaded, saying, “Brother, please don’t hit me; I’m carrying a baby.” Yet, she was beaten to death. Police stations were set on fire, people were murdered and tied up like slaughtered animals. Even their clothes were taken away, subjecting them to humiliation. Those who perpetrated these acts lack any sense of humanity or decency. How can one human treat another so cruelly? During our 15 years and 7 months in power, we never insulted anyone or resorted to such partisanship.

Today, businesses are under constant attack; businessmen are being arrested, factories are closing, and thousands of workers are losing their jobs. Farmers cannot cultivate due to a lack of fertilizer, electricity, and irrigation. This was not the state of the country when I left office. I ensured food security, eradicated famine in northern Bangladesh, and provided three meals a day to those who once struggled for one. We eliminated the need for imported second-hand clothes.

We guaranteed food, clothing, shelter, education, and healthcare. Through community clinics, we provided 30 types of free medicine. We built international-standard hospitals and recruited around 44,000 nurses and 22,000 doctors. Yet, today, all these achievements seem in vain.

What is my crime? I want to know. Those who label me as a dictator or a perpetrator of mass murder—what about the current situation in Bangladesh? Since August 2024, nearly 400 Awami League leaders and activists have been brutally murdered. Limbs were severed, and students, women, and youths were not spared. Mothers were tied to trees and humiliated when their children could not be found. Such barbarity—burning people alive or hacking them to death on prayer mats—is unprecedented.

A person I once helped the most betrayed me. Dr. Yunus, who once earned a salary of 6,000 taka as a Grameen Bank manager, received 400 crores of government funds during my tenure to stabilize the bank. I also granted him the Grameen Phone business, which was supposed to channel profits into Grameen Bank. Instead, he engaged in money laundering and corruption. His lust for power has brought the country to ruin.

Microcredit was not internationally recognized, but at Yunus’s request, I attended a conference where prominent figures like Spain’s Queen Sofia and Hillary Clinton were present. I supported the initiative, ensuring microcredit received global recognition. Yet, Yunus’s betrayal went so far as to plot to kill me and my sister Rehana.

Regarding the events of July 15 and the subsequent incidents, why were indemnities granted for so many murders? Crimes must be punished. Fires were set on metro rail, expressways, BTV buildings, and various institutions. A coordinator admitted that without killing police officers or setting the metro rail on fire, the so-called revolution would not have succeeded. Is this destruction a revolution?

To the students, I urge you to focus on your studies, respect your parents and teachers, and not hand over your institutions to extremists. We worked hard to restore a peaceful academic environment, free from bombs and weapons.

Let us not forget the sacrifices of our martyrs. If we disregard our history, we lose our identity. Bangladesh was once known for poverty and murder but became a role model for development. Do not let it return to destruction.

To the people of the country, I ask: Who is truly authoritarian? Those who murder and destroy or those who work for the welfare of the people? Let the nation decide.