August 21 is another scandalous day in the life of the Bengali nation. This day is really reminiscent of that day’s pain. The target attack was carried out with the intention of wiping out the political party that had worked from the beginning to create a country. Today's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the main target of the grenade attack. They chose that day to erase the history of independence, the worst massacre in history.
About a decade and a half ago today, they wanted to extinguish the light of the politics of this country before the light of the evening sun shone. The country became independent under the leadership of that political party. Under the leadership of the party that created the land called Bangladesh, a new sun arose in 1971. Cruel grenade attacks were carried out that day to extinguish the light of that sun forever. On 21 August 2004, an anti-terror and anti- corruption rally was organized in front of the party's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in protest of the BNP government's anti-terrorism and anti-corruption activities. The rally was going on by making a temporary stage in a truck.
After the speeches of the central leaders of the party, Awami League President and then Leader of the Opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad Sheikh Hasina started her speech at 5:02 pm. At the end of the 20-minute speech, at 5:22 a.m., she was leaving the microphone while folding a piece of paper in her hand saying 'Joy Bangla', 'Joy Bangabandhu'. Just then a journalist asked her again for a photo. Then Sheikh Hasina turned around again. At that moment, a grenade was hurled at her from the south.
On that day, the leaders and activists of the party made a human shield and tried to save her, but 24 leaders and activists including the then president of the Women's Awami League Ivy Rahman and Sheikh Hasina's personal bodyguard died. Although Bangabandhu’s daguter survived that day, her two ears and eyes were severely damaged. Irreparable damage was done to her hearing. She miraculously returned from the gates of death.
At that time BNP was in charge of running the state. After the grenades attacks gun shots were fired at her. The injured leaders and activists were rushed to the hospital for treatment but were returned that day.
After that incident, the 13th session of the 8th National Assembly was has begun September 12. In that session, 18 members of Awami League and two members of Jatiya Party gave notice to discuss the issue of grenade attack in Parliament. However, Speaker Barrister Jamir Uddin Sarkar rejected those notices. Despite rejecting the notice of the Awami League MPs, the Speaker gave an opportunity for general discussion on that day. 13 members of BNP, one member of Jamaat and Golam Habib (Dulal) of Jatiya Party, Mahi B Chowdhury of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Bangabir Kader Siddiqui of Krishak Sramik Janata League took part in it. It was discussed in the Parliament for about four and a quarter hours.
In the discussion of that day, the BNP MPs were busy putting the blame on the Awami League. They call it a political trump card and tried to make fun of it. August 21, 2004 was Saturday after a long 17 years and again August 21 is Saturday again.
The victim of this extreme betrayal in the politics of Bangladesh also hurts democracy. Beginning politics is a wall of disbelief. Since then, there has been a crisis of confidence between the two main political parties. The beauty of politics was ruined. At one time they met each other on social occasions but since then distance has been created. Those in power at that time were busy blaming the injured instead of cooperating with the injured.