Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed her firm determination to give tough punishment to arsonists and militants, saying that there is no mercy to them (arsonists and militants).
“There is no mercy to those who are burning people to death and unleashing militant acts in the name of hartals and blockades. Insha Allah, we must give stern punishment to them the way the militants are punished,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also Awami League President, called upon the leaders and workers of her party and its associate organizations to create mass awareness against the arsonists and militants.“I would like to urge leaders and workers of Bangladesh Awami League and its associate bodies to create mass awareness against arsonists and militants and hand them over to law enforcers immediately,” she said.
The Prime Minister added that the people of Bangladesh are peace-loving, and none would be allowed to play ducks and drakes with their fate and do harm them.
Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the afternoon.
Bangladesh Awami League arranged the discussion on the occasion of the 96th birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day.
Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina chaired the discussion.
Terming Begum Khaleda Zia as the “queen of destruction and militants”, the Awami League President said burning people to death and destroying the country are the only work of the BNP chairperson.
“The BNP leader is continuing to commit militant acts in the name of hartal and blockade. But there will be no room for any militant leader in Bangladesh,” she said.
Blasting again BNP-Jamaat’s destructive acts in the name of so-called movement, the Prime Minister posed a question that how would the people accept those who are out to impede the pace of Bangladesh’s ongoing development?
“It is my question, for whose interest the BNP-Jamaat nexus is unleashing destructive acts. How would the countrymen allow those parties who kill people by burning and want destruction of the country … how the people could support them or vote for them?” she asked.
Sheikh Hasina said the aim of a political party should be to ensure peace in the country and welfare of the people. “But the goal of BNP is to destroy the country and do harm to its people,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the BNP does not believe in independence, and the party which does not believe in independence has no right to do politics in the country. “What rights do they hold to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people?” she asked.
The Prime Minister described the BNP as a militant organization and cohort of the anti-liberation forces and said the BNP leader is burning people to death the way other militant outfits in the world kill people.
“The BNP is a militant organization and it is out to destroy the country and kill the people. But there is no place for a militant organization in the country. So it is necessary to create mass awareness against them and reach a message about their militant acts to the people,” she said.
Referring to the hartals and blockades being enforced by the BNP-Jamaat, Sheikh Hasina said the people after being angered and irritated are not responding to hartals and blockades.
“The people are now ignoring and protesting the hartals and blockades. But the BNP leader’s sense is not getting it. She is enforcing hartals and blockades even in the month of March,” she said.
“A summons has been issued against Khaleda Zia. If she has respect to the law and court, she should surrender to the court. But she is continuing to dishonour the court by not appearing,” she said. – BSS
