Govt to do all needed to protect life, property: Hasina warns

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday called upon the people to put up a resistance against ‘militancy, terrorism and bomb exploders’, and said that her government would do everything to protect their life and property.
“I would like to tell the people of all levels to build resistance and to be well-organised against the militants, terrorists and bomb exploders. We won’t allow anybody to destroy peace of the people and we would do everything to protect their life and property,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, urged the people to ‘hand over the culprits involved in terrorism, anarchy and bomb explosion’ to the police.“Let the policemen help to arrest the terrorists who make and hurl bombs in your locality. They would be brought to justice and given exemplary punishment,” she added.
The Prime Minister issued this warning while addressing a public rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the city in the afternoon.
Bangladesh Awami League organised the rally on the occasion of the 44th Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
With senior presidium member of the party and Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair, the rally was addressed, among others, by AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta, Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Mohammad Nasim, General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Joint Secretaries Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Organizing Secretary Krishibid AFM Bahauddin Nasim.
Dhaka City AL President MA Aziz and General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam and presidents and general secretaries of AL’s associate bodies spoke at the meeting conducted by AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity and Publication Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil also addresed the meeting.
Thousands of leaders and workers of Bangladesh Awami League and associate bodies from different parts of the capital as well as nearby districts joined the rally carrying colourful banners, festoons and portraits of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina and beating drums.
Sheikh Hasina urged the BNP chairperson to stop “julum” (repression) and torture on the people. “Otherwise, the consequences would be the worst if the people become furious.”
She said it would not be tolerated that “Khaleda Zia would kill and confine people by holding the hands of war criminal Jamaat”.
“The people want peace and security and I would like to tell clearly Khaleda Zia to stop repression and atrocities on the people and you will have to pay for the mistake you did in politics,” she added.
The Prime Minister said Begum Zia wants to destroy the country’s peace, development and stability by enforcing hartal and blockades.
The Prime Minister said Begum Zia’s son Tarique Rahman is conducting terrorist activities in the country from abroad and he turned Bangladesh into a den of graft in the past by opening “Hawa Bhaban”.
The Prime Minister said, “Khaleda Zia took a wrong decision by not participating in the last polls. So she and her party will have to pay for it. Why would you kill the people of the country and inflict torture and repression?” she said.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned that her government would do everything necessary for protecting the life, dignity and property of the people. “None could stop us from doing this. There is a limit to having patience,” she said. – Agencies