Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked the people to speak up against the ongoing ‘conspiracy’ to hinder the political process.
“There is a class that cannot face the people, but they wish to go to power. They do not have the courage to form a party and face the people,” she said.
“They have newspapers, media. They are writing whatever they want and running propaganda. They have money. You have to understand that. You have to be vocal against them.”
The Prime Minister’s call to the people came at a discussion to mark the Victory Day organised by her Awami League party at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
Hasina also criticised those among the advisors to the Iajuddin Ahmed-led caretaker government who attend talk-shows on TV channels. “We don’t fancy hearing theoretical talk from those who could not even stage an election.”
She again promised to end trials of the suspected war criminals ‘as soon as possible’. “Justice will be served for sure. We will free the people from this curse (of not holding war crimes trial).”
The Awami League president also called on the people to stand firm against the conspiracies to thwart the war crimes trials and accused the main opposition BNP of such plot.
“Different occurrences are being carried out. The government’s functioning is being obstructed. Domestic and foreign collaborators are involved in this.”
Hasina came down hard on her arch political rival, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. “Someone does not like the idea of people living in peace. She is the ‘Begum of trouble’. She feels happy if the people are not in peace.”
Reminding the opposition chief of the last military-backed caretaker government, she said, “You think those who you want to bring to power and take advice from will spare you? Your corruption (cases) are yet to be settled.”
“We are moving slow. But they will work fast,” she further warned her.
Without naming former Law Minister Moudud Ahmed, the Prime Minister also asked Khaleda not to take advice from the BNP Standing Committee Member. “It will not augur well for you, if you listen to the person who has 20 bank accounts in 20 different names and grabs a house using a dead person’s power of attorney.”
Hasina on Monday also censured the last BNP-led government for the corruptions that took place in its term.
Awami League Presidium member and Deputy Leader of Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury chaired the discussion which was also addressed, among others, by Advisory Council member Suranjit Sengupta, Agriculture Minister Matiya Chowdhury, Post and Telecommunications Minister Shahara Khatun, central leader Mohammad Nasim and Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif.
State Minister for Liberation War Affairs AB Tajul Islam, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Acting President of Awami League Dhaka City Unit MA Aziz, General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim also spoke.
Source: Bd News24