PM asks BNP to shun treacherous methods to grab power

Published : 18 Dec 2016, 12:07

Jagoroniya Desk

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday accused BNP of conspiring to grab power in treacherous methods and advised the party to practise democracy keeping faith on people's will. 

"I would like to tell if you believe in democracy, then practise democracy instead of playing tricks to grab state power," she told a Victory Day discussion staged by Awami League at Krishibid Institution Auditorium yesterday afternoon. 

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said the BNP was making an effort expecting someone to install them in power while "they (BNP) would be seated on a nagordola (merry-go-round)".

"But none would come with that merry-go-round and won't install them in power their hopes are far long ones," she added.

The premier said the quarters from where BNP expected the favour by now understood their ploy and "they won't respond to the BNP call".

"BNP had earlier sought help from them, but they didn't come," she said. 

AL Advisory Council members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, general secretary Obaidul Quader, former mayor of Sylhet Badaruddin Ahmed Qamran, AL Central Committee member Nurul Islam Thandu, Dhaka North City AL General Secretary Sadeq Khan and Dhaka South City AL General Secretary Shahe Alam Murad also took part in the discussion.

AL Publicity Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam Amin conducted the discussion.

At the outset of the discussion, a one-minute silence was observed in memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib and other martyrs of the August 15 carnage, four national leaders and martyrs of the Liberation War. 

The prime minister, however, reiterated her earlier passion about BNP's proposal on Election Commission's reconstitution saying the President invited them for discussion and "the honourable President will take a decision in this regard after discussion with all political parties".

But she said the current pace of development initiated by the present Awami League government frightened BNP and they also "know it well that the people of the country won't give them vote due to their past misdeeds". 

"Why the people would cast vote for BNP which was defeated in both elections and movement? Why the people would give vote to those who didn't give anything except consignment of 10 truckloads of arms, corruption and smuggling," she said.

Referring to mayhem and rampage the BNP-Jamaat nexus unleashed in 2013 and 2014 and in the first three months of 2015 to foil the January 5 polls and unseat the government, the prime minister called upon the people not to forget the BNP-Jamaat atrocities at that time.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat clique burnt over 150 people to death and torched 582 schools by turning the entire country into hell. 

"Son was burnt to death in front of mother, while husband was killed in front of wife in arson attacks and Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Zia carried out this massacre across the country," she said.

"So I would like to tell the people not to forget these heinous acts of the BNP-Jamaat," she said.

The prime minister said the BNP rehabilitated war criminals by making them ministers and MPs.

"The BNP handed over the blood-stained national flag to 1971 culprits who committed genocide during the Liberation War," she said adding that that is why the people cannot give vote to BNP.

Sheikh Hasina said her government after coming to power in 2008 launched the war criminals trial to free the country from decades of stigma while "the judgments against many of war criminals have already announced and verdicts were executed".

The Awami League chief said they have confidence and trust in the people as her government did work for their development, interest and welfare. "We never lose our confidence in the people and I believe that they our main strength," she said.

The prime minister underscored the need for continuing the current pace of uplift and upholding the spirit of War of Liberation.

"The trials of war criminals and August 21 grenade attackers as well as militancy are underway and those will have to be finished," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the current pace of development would continue and dignity of the country would be upheld if the people reelect the Awami League and pro-liberation forces.

"But if the Razakar, al-Badr and killers who were tried come to power, they will carry out genocide like the 1971. It can be understood from the atrocities of Khaleda Zia that they won't hesitate to commit such crimes and the people also understand it," she said.

The premier called upon the leaders and workers of Awami League as well as other pro-liberation forces to be united to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country materialize the dream of Bangabandhu and all martyrs of 1971.

She said Bangladesh has been placed on the dignified position and became a role model of development due to stunning socioeconomic uplift that took place during the present government.

"So we will have to repay the debt of martyrs by turning Bangladesh into a middle income country by 2021 and a developed and prosperous one by upholding the dignity and flag of independence," she said.

Source: BSS

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