<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the victims of August 21 grenade attack in 2004 and prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div>In a message on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the heinous grenade attack, she mentioned that anti-liberation sectarian groups and the group of anti-development and anti-democracy are still vocal in various ways.</div><div><br></div><div>She urged all to confront any conspiracy of this evil power unitedly and build a hunger-and-poverty-free 'Sonar Bangladesh' as dreamt by Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by 2041.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier said the barbaric grenade attack was carried out on that day in 2004 under the direct patronization of BNP-Jamaat alliance during an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League to kill her.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Terming the grenade attack a 'stigmatized day' in the history of the country, she said, "Our dedicated party leaders and workers saved me from the series of grenade attacks by forming a human shield."&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>"I survived the attack due to immense blessings of the Almighty but some 24 leaders and workers including president of Mahila Awami League Ivy Rahman embraced martyrdom," the premier said, adding that more than 500 leaders and activists, journalists and security personnel were injured.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Sheikh Hasina said it was the moral obligation of a government to arrest the culprits involved with such a heinous attack. But, the then government of BNP-Jamaat protected the killers and helped attackers to leave the country.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>They destroyed the important evidences of the incident and in the name of investigation, the then government diverted the heinous incident to other direction by staging 'Joj Mia' drama, she said.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>"But truth can never be suppressed. Today, it has come out through investigation that many high-ups of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government and Hawa Bhaban were directly involved with the attack," said the Prime Minister.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>After 14 years, Dhaka-1 Speedy Trial Tribunal handed down the verdict of August 21 grenade attack case in 2018, she said, adding that the court awarded death sentence to 19 people including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and life imprisonment to 19 including ex-premier Khaleda Zia's fugitive son Tarique Rahman and Haris Chowdhury, said Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>"Rule of law has been established through this verdict. We hope this verdict will be executed following all legal procedures," she said.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Sheikh Hasina said whenever BNP-Jamaat alliance came to power, they intended to make the country a failed state by patronizing militants and terrorists.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Prime Minister said the people of the country voted Awami League to power again through a landslide victory on December 29 in 2008 general election to end all evil-attempts and conspiracies of BNP-Jamaat.</div><div><br></div><div>She said her government has been working relentlessly for the development of the people since 2009.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said in the last 13 and a half years, the country has achieved expected progress in every sector, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>"Peace and democracy have been re-established in the country by following the policy of 'Zero Tolerance' to combat terrorism and militancy," she continued.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>