Khaleda with defeated forces, she says
In a scathing attack on the opposition leader for celebrating her birthday on the National Mourning Day on August 15, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said Khaleda Zia does not believe in the country’s independence as she is with the defeated forces.
“Through celebrating her (Khaleda’s) birthday on this day (Aug 15), Khaleda Zia gives an impression to the defeated Pakistani forces that she doesn’t believe in Bangladesh’s independence, rather she is with the defeated forces,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a memorial meeting on the National Mourning Day held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) this afternoon.
Awami League organised the meeting with Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.
“She (Khaleda) doesn’t want Bangladesh as an independent nation to maintain its place at the global stage as a dignified nation,” Hasina told her audience.
The Prime Minister said although Khaleda Zia celebrated her birthday on August 15 through cutting cakes, this (Aug 15) date of her birth is not there in her any certificate, including that of her marriage.
Urging people to think about the possible consequences of AL’s non-election this time, Hasina said if her party cannot retain power, there will be terrorism, militancy and corruption in the country again along with black money and falling poverty level. “People need to keep these things mind.”
Blasting the opposition for their ill attempt to save the war criminals, Hasina alleged that the BNP men along with Jamaat-Shibir-Hefajat cadres are carrying out destruction across the country in the name of movement to save the war criminals. “Their objective is only one– to stop the war crimes trial.”
The AL chief said her government has also brought back money from abroad which was laundered by the opposition leader’s sons. “Had we had any weakness to corruption then we might not have returned the laundered money.”
Hasina said the defeated forces took avenge by killing Bangabandhu with his family members because he had liberated the country.
She said it is the duty of each citizen of the country to protect the country’s independence and the spirit of the War of Liberation as well as upholding those.
The Awami League president also called upon all to remain alert against the defeated forces of the country.
Describing the misrule, corruption, terrorism and militancy unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat alliance during their tenure, Hasina claimed there have been sings of development in every field during the last four and a half years of the present government as there was good governance.
Alleging when the BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power Bangladesh had turned into a nation of terrorism, militancy and corruption, Hasina said, “But, now the country becomes a role model of development in the global arena.”
The Prime Minister also called upon all who believed in the spirit of the War of Liberation to get united against the anti-liberation forces, war criminals and killers. “Let’s all unite and take the country ahead and build ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman so that his soul could rest in peace.”
Highlighting various achievements of the present government, the Prime Minister said her government has maintained over 6 percent growth rate on average, ADP implementation rate notched 96 percent last year, brought down inflation rate to single digit, increased the wages of the government officials as well as the garment workers, reduced poverty rate to 26 percent from 40 percent and implemented large-scale social safety net programmes.
Awami League advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu, Suranjit Sen Gupta, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister and AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, presidium members Mohammad Nasim, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, among others, took part in the discussion.
State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, General Secretary of Dhaka City Awami League Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, AL Organising Secretary Ahmad Hossain, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Sanjida Khanam, MP also spoke on the occasion.
AL Publicity Sectary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil conducted the meeting.
