Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday called upon BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to cut ties with war criminals, terrorists and militants, saying there will be no place for them in the country.
“It is good to wage movement along with the people. But you will have to sever ties with terrorists, militants and war criminals and there will be no room for them on the soil of this country Insha Allah,” she asserted.The Prime Minister was addressing a mammoth public rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan here this afternoon. Bangladesh Awami League arranged the rally on the occasion of the Jail Killing Day.
The Awami League president reiterated her firm determination to execute all the verdicts of the war crimes trials.
“It was our commitment to the people to hold trial of the 1971 culprits for their crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation. We have begun their trial and execution of verdict has started. We will implement all judgements Insha Allah on this soil to free the nation from stigma,” she said.
In this connection, the Prime Minister mentioned the silent role of the BNP leader and said that her (Begum Zia’s) present condition is like a snake with a frog getting stuck in its mouth. “The snake neither can swallow nor release it, and Khaleda Zia neither can speak in favour of the trial nor oppose it,” she said.
About the judgements of the war crimes trials, Sheikh Hasina said the family members of the martyrs of 71 who waited year after year are now feeling relieved as the international crimes tribunal (ICTs) have been pronouncing verdicts against those who committed crimes against humanity in 1971.
Regarding Begum Zia’s threat to oust the government through a movement, the Prime Minister mentioned that Begum Zia at a meeting in 2006 had said Awami League had been finished and the party won’t get more than 30 seats (in the polls).
“But the irony (of it) is that Begum Zia’s party did not get more than 29 seats in the 2008 elections. It seems to me that whenever she (Khaleda Zia) whishes bad luck for us, it comes back as blessings (for us),” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said BNP was afraid of participating in the January 5 polls as the party did not get more than 29 seats in the 2008 elections.
The Prime Minister said the people of the country did not accept the BNP leader’s election boycott.
Referring to Begum Zia’s comments that the present government is illegal, Sheikh Hasina said she (Begum Zia) sees all things illegal as her husband captured power illegally through killings, coups and conspiracies.
Sheikh Hasina said the politics of killing, coup and corruption was initiated after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu and the four national leaders in 1975.
She said, it was Zia who rewarded the killers of Bangabandhu and four national leaders by making them ambassadors, ministers and advisers. “He also rehabilitated the anti-liberation elements in politics,” she added.
“They tainted the image and dignity of Bangladesh by making the anti-liberation force and killers, partners of the state power which never happened in any civilized nation,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said they created “Hawa Bhaban” parallel to the government, and the “bhaban” was involved in massive corruption. “That is why, the BNP leader and her sons became owners of thousands of crores of taka although they had carried out propaganda of having only a torn vest and a broken suitcase left by Zia,” she said.
The Prime Minister said her government has been striving to build Bangladesh as a hunger- and poverty-free middle-income country by 2021 and developed one by 2041 being imbued with the ideols of Bangabandhu and the four national leaders. – BSS
