Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday warned that her party will
never allow martial law to be enforced in the country to curb people’s
rights again. “We won’t allow martial law to stage a comeback …we
won’t allow the rights of people to be curbed…we won’t allow martial
law to come again,” she said while addressing the 41st founding
anniversary of Bangladesh Awami Juba League at the city’s Suhrawardy
Udyan. Accusing the opposition leader of conducting destructive
activities across the country being crazy for power, Sheikh Hasina
said, “Actually, she (Khaleda Zia) doesn’t want any election in the
country.” Hasina, also the President of the ruling Awami League,
wanted know what the opposition leader has achieved by conducting
destructive activities in the country. “If you (Khaleda) want to
stage agitations, you please come out on the field …we’ll face each
other on the streets …we’ll see who holds how much power,” Hasina
reiterated her call to Khaleda Zia. The Prime Minister sharply
criticised the opposition leader’s stance to hire hooligans for
carrying out destructive activities in the country in the name of
agitation programmes. Reaffirming that the next general election
will be free, fair and neutral, the premier requested the opposition
party to join the polls. Hasina asked the opposition leader to place
her demand which ministries she wants to join the all-party
government. “If you want the Home Ministry we’ll give it, but please
join the election and don’t try to resist it. Even if you try, you
can’t resist it.” Talking about her phone call to the opposition
leader, the Prime Minister said she had showed her utmost modesty to
the opposition leader despite Khaleda Zia’s aggressive attitude during
the conversation. Hasina said the opposition has lost its peace of
mind seeing people living a peaceful life. “That’s why she (Khaleda)
has engaged in the destructive activities, please keep your agony in
your heart, don’t try to let it come out and cause sufferings to the
common people. If people get angry someday she’ll (Khaleda) will feel
the pain of fire.” Criticising the ‘eminent personalities’ who met
the President seeking his role in resolving the current political
impasse, Hasina said, “Some of them were advisers to caretaker
government, but they failed to play their due role at that time. Why
did they fail? The 1/11 came because of their failure,” she said.
Turing to the trial of war criminals, the AL chief said the opposition
leader does not want the trial of the war criminals and questioned
about her patriotism. “She was born in India, that’s why she doesn’t
have any sympathy for the people of this country. I just wonder
whether the opposition leader had wanted the independence of the
country.” She asked the Juba League leaders and activists to resist
the destructive activities of the opposition party and to be on the
side of the country’s ordinary people as he party wants to continue
the democratic process in the country to ensure its rapid development.
Chaired by Juba League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury, the programme
was addressed, among others, by Land Minister Amir Hossain Amu, AL
presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and
Juba League general secretary M Harunur Rashid. Earlier, the Prime
Minister unveiled the cover of a book of compilations, ‘Struggle for
Democracy’ featuring different parts of her life and works. – UNB
