Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday alleged that the opposition leader wants a Hasina-free Bangladesh because she knows it very well that no one else could risk one’s life to hold the trial of war criminals after long 42 years.
“She (Khaleda) knows it very well that no other person except Hasina would dare to continue the trial of the war criminals facing such odds and obstacles…no one else will risk one’s life except Hasina for finishing the trial. So she (Khaleda) wants a Hasina-free Bangladesh,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the ruling Awami League, said this while delivering her introductory speech at a views-exchange meeting with grassroots leaders of the party from six districts at her official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon.
Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, AL Presidium members Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Satish Chandra Roy, AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif and Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni were present.
As part of a series of views-exchange meetings to finalise probable party candidates for the parliamentary seats in the next national election, the Awami League President today exchanged views with presidents and general secretaries of Brahmanbaria, Jhalakati, Meherpur, Madaripur, Narail and Joypurhat district units of the party and their thana, upazila and grade-I pourasava units.
The ruling party began the series of views-exchange meetings between its President and grassroots leaders on September 4 and the meetings would continue till October 12.
Reiterating her firm determination to complete the trial of perpetrators who committed crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation, the Prime Minister said as long as she remains alive, she would move on the path of justice to fulfill her pledges.
In a scathing attack on the opposition leader for her repeated attempts to save the war criminals, Hasina said, “The verdicts of the war crimes trial are coming out and Inshallah we’ll execute those.”
The AL chief also called upon the countrymen to give her party another chance to continue the country’s socioeconomic development and execute the verdicts of the war crimes trial.
Turning to the upcoming polls, Hasina said, “The next election is very important, and I would like to urge the countrymen to give another chance to Awami League in that election by casting votes for ‘boat’, the election symbol of the party, for the continuation of the country’s socioeconomic development and execution of the verdict of the war crimes trial and thus build a hunger- and poverty-free Bangladesh by 2021.”
About the BNP chairperson’s comment that she (Khaleda) does not want to see Sheikh Hasina in power, the Prime Minister said: “Everybody knows why she does not want to see me in power. If I’m not there in power, she’ll hug the war criminals and hand over the national flag to them again and make ministers by releasing them from jail.”
She alleged that Begum Zia makes merry on August 15 as her birthday since 92-93 though Bangabandhu and most of his family members, including minor Sheikh Russel, were assassinated on the day in 1975.
Hasina further alleged that Khaleda rewarded the killers of Bangabandhu and four national leaders giving them foreign posting and making them members of parliament. “She also tried to kill me through her two sons and her cabinet ministers on August 21 in 2004 that killed 22 AL leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman.”
Turning down her proposal for dialogue to solve the ‘political impasse’ in the country, she alleged that Khaleda Zia issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government on May 4 and later the opposition unleashed violent acts in the capital and elsewhere in the country to topple the government.
Referring to the opposition leader’s claim of killing 2,500 people at Shapla Chattar and firing of 1.50 lakh gunshots during the law enforcers operation at Hefajat-e-Islam’s rally on May 5 night, Hasina alleged, “She (Khaleda) is still going on with her falsehood, I don’t know what she actually wants through telling lies and confusing people.”
The Prime Minister urged the countrymen not to be misguided by the anti-government propaganda of the opposition. “A Muslim cannot resort to falsehood standing in a mosque,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said before the five city corporation polls, BNP-Jamaat and Hefajat men had carried out propaganda that AL killed all imams, muajjins and devout Muslims. “They also propagated that ajan (call for prayers) and janaza would not be held as AL killed all imams and muezzins,” she said.
Hasina said but their propaganda has been proved wrong as ajan, namaj and jananza are being held as usual.
Regarding the amendment to the constitution, the Prime Minister said the government brought the amendment to restore and protect parliamentary democracy as well to seal off usurpation of power illegally. “We’ve brought the amendment so that no one could grab power unconstitutionally,” she said.
Source: UNBConnect
