The Awami League (AL)-led 14-Party Alliance yesterday vowed to weed out anti-liberation forces completely from the soil of Bangladesh to continue the momentum of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ruling alliance leaders made the pledge after paying tributes to martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar on the occasion of the 48th Independence and National Day.

“Anti-liberation forces are still active. They are hampering the country’s development. We’ll have to be united to evict these forces from the soil of Bangla,” said AL general secretary Obaidul Quader. He was talking to journalists after paying tributes to Liberation War heroes at the National Memorial.

Quader, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, said Bangladesh has made significant progress and attained the eligibility for graduation to a developing nation from the status of a least developed country (LDC). “We dream of becoming a developed nation one day,” he added.

Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu also spoke to the media after paying his respects to the martyrs.

Inu, who is also the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said that Bangladesh is not out of danger yet as Pakistani elements are still active to hatch conspiracy against the country.

He alleged that the BNP has not organised any event to commemorate Mass Killing Day on March 25. “It doesn’t accept the Father of the Nation, Mass Killing Day, or even the death of three million people. It still follows the ideals of Pakistan,” he said.

“We've two major challenges—the first is to hold the next national election on time and the second is to prevent militants and the Razakar-patron BNP from coming to power,” he added.

“We’ll have to go further to achieve our goal to make Bangladesh a developed country by 2041 by removing anti-liberation forces from the state,” said Bangladesh Workers' Party president and social welfare minister Rashed Khan Menon.