Jan 5 election very important: Hasina

 

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday termed the January 5 election very important for the continuation of democracy in the country.

 

“The January 5 election is very important…this election is very much important for the country for giving democracy a strong footing and for its continuation,” she told a roadside rally at Tarakmouja High School in Pirganj.

 

Sheikh Hasina is contesting the election from this constituency (Rangpur-6), the hometown of her husband eminent nuclear scientist Dr M Wajed Miah.

 

The Prime Minister arrived here as part of her election campaign.

 

Criticising the opposition alliance for its destructive politics, the AL chief said it seemed to her that opposition leader Khaleda Zia waged a war against the poor.

 

Hasina mentioned that she gets hurt when she sees the opposition enforcing hartal and blockade programmes one after another.  “They (opposition) are simply creating obstacles to the livelihoods of the poor in the name of hartal and blockade programmes.”

 

Responding to the criticisms by a section of people, the AL president said she had tried a lot to bring the opposition leader (Khaleda) to the negotiation table. “Whatever I had tried to bring her to the path of compromise, she (Khaleda) rebuffed it.”

 

Sheikh Hasina also said looting and killing have turned out to be the main activities of the BNP-Jamaat nexus and the people of the country had witnessed these heinous acts during their regime, too.

 

The AL President further alleged that the BNP-Jamaat men logged down numerous tress across the country. “They (BNP-Jamaat) just can commit destructive works, nothing else. I’ll request her (Khaleda) to stop felling trees,” she added.

 

About the trial of war criminals, which was one of the main election pledges, Hasina said the trial is on and courts have been pronouncing verdicts. “The government has already executed the verdict against Abdul Quader Mollah,” she said.

 

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP chairperson is now trying her best to save the war criminals. “Let me tell you (Khaleda) clearly, you can’t do this.”

 

The Prime Minister also asked the opposition leader to stop the killing of innocent people. “I’m asking you to stop the killing of people through arson attacks and shun destructive activities.”

 

She said the people of the country now want peace and development, and described elaborately the development activities her government has carried out over the last five years.

 

During the BNP-Jamaat regime, Hasina said, Rangpur was well known as a Monga pocket. “But, after assuming power, we’ve taken effective steps to erase this bad name, and now Monga has vanished from this region,” she said.

 

The AL chief said if her government is voted to power in the next election her party would provide electricity to each house of the country and there will be no shanty in the country. “Each house will be provided with electricity and be turned into tin-roofed one,” she said.

 

Expressing her profound gratitude to the people of Rangpur for their all-out support in the last election, Hasina said this time she is contesting then polls from here and seeking their all-out support again.

 

“Especially, I’ll request the young generation who will exercise their franchise for the first time to cast their votes in favour of AL,” she said.

 

Sheikh Hasina also mentioned that the government has been able to fulfill most of its election pledges, including making Rangpur a division. “AL always works for the country and its people as it’s a pro-people party,” she said.

 

AL organising secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury also spoke at the rally.

 

Later, she visited her in-laws house and offered fateha at the majar of her husband Dr Wajed Miah.

 

Earlier, the AL chief arrived in Syedpur by a commercial flight and reached the rally venue by road.

Source: UNB Connect