Accusing the opposition leader of making desperate attempt to foil the country’s democratic system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Khaleda Zia is instigating the Army as she does not believe in democracy.
“She (Khaleda) is speaking louder for the war criminals to protect them. So, those who believe in the country’s independence won’t vote her and that’s why she is instigating the Army as she doesn’t like democracy,” Hasina said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a discussion meeting organised by Awami League at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the afternoon, marking the 43rd Independence and National Day.
She said Khaleda Zia’s husband Ziaur Rahman had also taken power riding on the army’s shoulder. “Now, she (Khaleda) is dreaming of that, which won’t come true.”
Holding responsible the opposition leader for carrying out mass killing in the country, Hasina said, “You’ve (Khaleda) committed mass killings in the country. If any trial is held for the mass killing on this soil, then you’ll be brought under that trial.”
Hasina said the opposition leader had instigated criminals to beat policemen to death, torch railway bogies, tracks and vehicles and burn drivers to death.
In this regard, the Prime Minister mentioned that the opposition leader had also committed mass killing after taking power in 2001, including numerous leaders and workers of Awami League, burning some 11 people to death in Banshkhali, Chittagong.
Saying that the real face of the opposition leader has now got exposed before the country, the AL chief urged her arch rival not to cause pain to people, stop killing and torching vehicles, set fire to power stations, and burn public property. “Go to your (Khaleda’s) ‘Priya Pakistan’, you’ll feel good there.”
Voicing her government’s firm stance to protect the lives and property of the commoners, Hasina called upon people to hunt down those Jamaat-Shibir men setting fire to public property. “Our leaders and workers would stand beside you.”
She went on: “The leaders and workers of Awami League will also have to remain alert so that the collaborators of Al Badars and Razakars and their leaders, the opposition leader couldn’t play with the fate of the common people and shed people’s blood.”
Strongly criticising the role of opposition leader and the Jamaat-Shibir for torching vehicles, railway bogies on the Independence Day, the Prime Minister said, “Those who don’t believe in the country’s independence and are trying to protect the war criminals would not find their place in Bangladesh.”
The Prime Minister said those who are misleading the opposition leader to foil democracy in the country would not succeed because people are now more aware and pro-democratic as they have started getting the fruits of democracy.
In a further attack on Khaleda Zia, Hasina said, “She (Khaleda) has again started killing people… she doesn’t feel good without seeing people’s blood and her blood-thirsty face has now been unmasked.”
Referring to the BNP’s claim of announcing the country’s independence on March 27, 1971 by Ziaur Rahman, Hasina questioned Khaleda Zia why she had called hartal on this day. “You’ve called hartal for this day along with Jamaat-Shibir to protect the war criminals. You’ll have to answer whether you believe in your husband’s declaration.”
Citing that the opposition leader had many examples of fleeing, the Prime Minister alleged that during the BDR mutiny in 2009, the opposition leader had fled her then cantonment residence one or two hours before the incident started and there was no trace of her for the next seven days. “So, a question is being raised who were involved in the BDR incident and why the opposition leader fled.”
Mentioning that the trial of the BDR mutiny cases have already been completed while the trial of the cases on BDR carnage are undergoing, Hasina also blamed the BNP-Jamaat for trying to save the killers of BDR carnage.
Again criticising Khaleda Zia for observing her birth day on August 15 when the Father of the Nation with most of his family members were brutally killed in 1975, Hasina said had Khaleda had some sort of patriotism, she would not have tried for cancelling the GSP facility of Bangladeshi export goods to the US market. “Now she’s engaged in a plot so that the Bangladeshi Army can’t take part in UN peacekeeping missions.”
Chaired by Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, the discussion meeting was addressed, among others, by Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Senior AL leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, minister without portfolio Suranjit Sen Gupta, Post and Telecommunications Minister Adv Sahara Khatun, AL general secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, former Chittagong University Vice Chancellor Prof Abdul Mannan, Former Law Minister Adv Abdul Matin Khosru, State Minister for Law Adv Qumrul Islam, city unit Secretary of AL Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.
Noted cultural personality Asaduzzaman Noor, MP recited two poems of Annada Shankar Roy and Md Samad at the meeting.
Source: UNB Connect
