FOREIGNERS’ KILLINGS : PM sees BNP, Jamaat link

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Sunday said that the killings of two foreigners were pre-planned and alleged that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its ally the Jamaat-e-Islami had a hand in them.
‘Definitely, their [BNP and Jamaat] patronization has played a role behind the incidents and the motive is to put our achievements in question,’ Hasina said at a press conference at her official residence Gana Bhaban on the outcome of her just-concluded US visit.
She, however, said that there was no reason to believe that all the achievements of the government would be overshadowed by such murders.
Replying to a query, she said that the allegations were made based on statements of a BNP leader made before and after the killings.
An Italian and a Japanese citizen were shot dead in Dhaka and Rangpur within less than a week. Unconfirmed sources claimed that militant outfit Islamic State claimed the responsibility for the killings.
The prime minister, however, said that no such militant organisations could grow in the country because of strong monitoring of intelligence agencies.
She also said that Bangladesh had witnessed home-grown militant organisations like JMB in the past and the government had taken firm actions against them.
She said that after the killing of Italian citizen in Dhaka, a statement was posted on social media from Chicago that Islamic State was involved in the murder. ‘But, still there is no proof of it…we have to investigate it,’ she added.
Asked if any question was raised on legitimacy of the government or any suggestion of an early election was made during bilateral of multilateral meetings with world leaders on sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the prime minister said, ‘No one raised any such question.’
Replying to a question which mentioned that the two foreigners were killed at a time when the Appellate Division had upheld the death sentences of two opposition leaders on war crimes charges, Hasina said, ‘You must not forget that they were in the state power.’
She said, ‘Our intelligence agencies are looking into the killings and you will see that the perpetrators will be detained and brought to justice.’
Hasina criticised Australia and the United States for issuing travel alerts for their citizens in Bangladesh as well as for postponing Cricket Australia’s tour of Bangladesh.
She said, ‘Two men were shot dead just in front of police headquarters in Australia shortly after the country postponed its cricket test tour of Bangladesh while ten students were killed in a shooting in an US school. The question is whether any country has issued travel alerts while visiting those two countries.’
She paid an eight-day official visit to the US from September 24 to October 1 to attend the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
Hasina said that Bangladesh’s participation in the UN General Assembly brightened the country’s image in the international arena as the country had contributed a lot in identifying the Sustainable Development Goals.
About the allegation against an Awami League lawmaker of shooting at a schoolboy in the legs in Gaibandha, the prime minister said that licences of firearms of the lawmaker, Manjurul Islam Liton, had been cancelled and he was prosecuted as a part of steps against him.
The prime minister blasted agitating public university teachers for their decision to refrain from taking classes.
She said that the government was considering forming a separate commission for them and there was no reason for them to go on agitation programmes. ‘As they are on agitations, let it go and there is nothing for my intervention as they are destroying the academic life of students,’ she said.
Hasina said that the government has increased the salaries of the teachers by 91 per cent. ‘We have given them a lot…it should have been better had it been less,’ she said.
The prime minister said that she had the list of university teachers who doing double jobs.
Hasina abusively criticised her arch political rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia while replying to a query on Khaleda’s reported remark that she would form a new government in which patriot Awami League leaders would join.
Replying to a question over the visit of Bangladeshi women cricket team to Pakistan, Hasina said that the team should be congratulated for their visit.
She said, ‘Why will not they go to Pakistan? We still have state-level relationships. Our girls have gone to Pakistan as they are brave.’