Shun destructive politics, join dialogue: Hasina to Khaleda

 

Urging Khaleda Zia to shun destructive politics, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the opposition leader to sit in a dialogue for holding the upcoming general election with the participation of all political parties.

 

“We want a free and fair election…we’ll hold that election, we all will hold that election,” she asserted.

 

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, was addressing a mammoth public rally organised by the party’s local unit at Kadamtali Bir Muktijoddha Nurul Islam Commander Chattar.

 

The Prime Minister asked the opposition leader to shun the politics of destruction and killing, and come to the path of dialogue for holding the next general election with the participation of all parties.

 

“Give up the path of destruction; leave the path of destruction, killing and arson attacks. Let’s sit in a dialogue…the door for dialogue is still open,” the AL chief said pointing at Khaleda Zia.

 

Hasina requested the opposition leader to place her demand in the dialogue how she wants the election to be held.

 

Continuing her scathing attacks on Khaleda, Hasina said the opposition leader likes to kill people and side with killers and war criminals.

 

About the opposition-enforced hartals, the Prime Minister said these hartals left some 25 innocent people dead. “She (Khaleda) has to take the responsibility for the killing of these people,” she said adding that the opposition leader wanted to save the war criminals with these killings.”

 

Hasina went on: “You (Khaleda) want to save the war criminals, you can’t save them. We’ll execute the verdicts of the war crimes trial, Inshallah.”

 

Calling on people to strengthen the hands of AL, Hasina said it need to be ensured that the national flag earned through a long struggle must not be in the hands of the war criminals.

 

Referring to her recent phone conversation with the opposition leader, Hasina said she did it for the sake of the country, its people, their welfare and prosperity. “When I started talking to her, oh my God, you can’t imagine how she (Khaleda) acted, what a way she started talking to me,” she added.

 

The AL chief also criticised her arch rival for her remarks of ‘releasing’ the war criminals if she comes to power again and running the country in a different style.

 

Describing various development programmes taken by her government over the last five years for Keraniganj and the whole country, Hasina sought votes in favour of ‘Boat’, the election symbol of her party, for the continuation of development.

 

PM’s son and eminent IT expert Sajeeb Wazed Joy, State Minister for Law adv Quamrul Islam, AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and local MP Nasrul Hamid Bipu also spoke at the rally.

 

Prior to addressing the rally, Hasina inaugurated the work on Shubhadda Khal re-excavation and embankment renovation, Natun Rastarchar School and College, Banda Dakpara Primary and Secondary School.

 

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones for the construction of Jinjira Convention Centre, extended building of Keraniganj Mohila Degree College stadium at Teghoria BD ground, indoor stadium at Agangar, Dhaleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque, new building of Chanditala mandir and Muktijoddha complex on Keraniganj upazila premises.

Source: UNB Connect