Accusing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia again of conspiring to tarnish the country’s image through killing foreign nationals, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the killers of two foreign nationals will be hunted down and put on trial.
‘There’ll be no place for terrorists and militants in Bangladesh… we’ll surely find out the killers of the foreign nationals, no matter who have killed them, and bring them under the purview of law,’ she said.
The prime minister was addressing a reception at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city. The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries accorded the reception to the prime minister for receiving the world’s highest environmental accolade, ‘The Champions of the Earth Award’, and ‘The ICT Sustainable Development Award’ of the International Telecommunication Union.
Sheikh Hasina warned that the government will not allow those engaged in the killing of foreign nationals and tarnish the country’s image.
‘You must remember one thing, whoever is engaged in injustice, and patronise terrorists and militants and maintain connections, the government will take stern action against them.’
She said her government wants to maintain a peaceful situation in the country so that the children could attend their schools, people can live a peaceful life, businesspeople can do their business properly and the country can maintain its march forward without any disturbance.
When the country is marching forward, Hasina said, a section of people are not happy at all with that. ‘At a time when Bangladesh is getting recognition, such heinous incidents are being carried ….we can feel that. In whose interest such incidents are being committed? We have information what type of evil deeds are going on.’
Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio was shot dead in Rangpur on October 3, five days after the killing of an Italian citizen Cesare Tavella in Dhaka’s Gulshan area.
Recalling the destructive politics of BNP-Jamaat clique in the name of anti-government movement that claimed the lives of so many people, the prime minister said the BNP chief started conspiring killing foreign nationals in Bangladesh as she has realised that burning innocent people has failed to yield any result for her.
‘Now she [Khaleda] is in conspiracy from abroad to kill foreigners living in Bangladesh. They’re now engaged in tarnishing the country’s image through killing foreigners. This is just an enmity with the country and its people,’ she said.
Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, FBCCI president Abdul Matlub Ahmed, ex-FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, FBCCI first vice-president Shafiul Alam Mohiuddin and FBCCI vice-president Mahbubul Alam also spoke at the function.
Earlier, FBCCI president Abdul Matlub Ahmed greeted the prime minister by presenting her a bouquet, while eminent TV actress Shomi Qaiser read out a citation in honour of the prime minister.
Later, the FBCCI president and two vice-presidents handed over the citation, written by Sabyasachi Kobi Syed Shamsul Haque, to Sheikh Hasina.
A documentary on the country’s impressive development in different sectors under the leadership of prime minister Sheikh Hasina was screened at the function.
Ministers, parliament members, diplomats, directors of the FBCCI and leaders of other trade bodies were present.
Source: New Age