Urging all not to be confused by BNP-Jamaat’s false propaganda, Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said people would reelect Awami
League for implementing the massive development activities taken by
her government apart from curbing terrorism, militancy and corruption.
“Country’s people will vote for AL in the next national election
because this government has ensured peace and curbed militancy,
terrorism and corruption,” she said. Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami
League President, said this while delivering her introductory speech
at a views-exchange meeting with the grassroots leaders at her
official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon. She urged them to
seek votes from people highlighting the party’s successes it achieved
over the last four and half years. Hasina explained that the
countrymen would vote for her party as it has implemented massive
development activities that improved the lifestyle of people
increasing the per capita income and rate of literacy, creating
employment opportunities and congenial academic atmosphere in
educational institutions in addition to free distribution of
textbooks. As part of a series of views-exchange meetings to
finalise probable party candidates to contest the next national
election, the Awami League President today exchanged views with
presidents and general secretaries of Comilla North and South,
Chittagong North and South, Chittagong Metropolis, Pabna and Rangpur
district units of the party and their thana, upazila and grade-I
pourasava units. AL presidium members Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Sheikh
Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi Zafarullah, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain,
Nooh-ul-Alam Lenin, Satish Chandra Roy, Joint General Secretary
Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, Food Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque, Environment
and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and former Chief Whip Abul Hasnat
Abdullah were present. The Prime Minister said it was only Awami
League that has been doing whatever necessary to turn this independent
country into a dignified nation because AL has brought its
independence under the able leadership of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after a long struggle of 24 years.
“Those who create, sacrifice and endure sufferings can only have the
passion for the country, but those who had captured power all of a
sudden they don’t love it,” she added. Blaming the opposition leader
for confusing people through delivering false speeches continuously,
Hasina said Khaleda Zia claimed that the law enforcers had fired 1.50
lakh gunshots during the Dhaka siege programme of Hefajat-e-Islam on
May 5 at Shapla Chattar. “She (Khaleda) has been telling the lie
time and again playing a ‘broken record player’ and thus confusing
people,” Hasina said. The AL chief said the opposition leader and
her party had conducted false propaganda before the elections in 1996
that there would be ‘Ulu Dhani’ in mosques, no ‘azan’ if AL assumed
power. Hasina said the falsehood of the top BNP leader was then
proven. “This time she (khaleda) is also conducting the same false
propaganda and you’ve (AL leaders) to remain alert about that.” The
premier also reminded the countrymen that if BNP-Jamaat could take
power again, they would resort to corruption, money laundering,
bombing, grenade attacks and thus Bangladesh lose its dignity at the
global stage. “When AL assumes office, the country’s people get
something…..AL brings rewards for the country, but BNP only brings
sufferings for people,” she said. Noting that various kinds of
conspiracies are still on to stop the trial of war criminals, Hasina
alleged that it was Ziaur Rahman who had patronised the war criminals
and rewarded them followed by her wife Khaleda Zia. Referring to the
48-hour ultimatum given by Khaleda Zia in May last to oust the
government defying the premier’s call for talks, the Prime Minister
said that the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir and Hefajat men burned hundreds of
copies of the holy Quran on May 5 night apart from setting fire to
the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. “Those who do politics in the
name of Islam and come to Hefajat Islam, how could they serve Islam
burning the copies of Quran and setting fire to mosques?,” she
questioned. The Prime Minister claimed that it is only the AL
government, which serves Islam as it has made compulsory the religious
education, Bangabandhu had established Islamic Foundation and Madrasa
Board, banned gambling and liquor and many other things. Dismissing
the allegation of hurriedly amending the constitution, Hasina said
that the 15th amendment to the charter was made following a long
process of nearly one year to ensure the democratic rights of the
country’s each and every citizen. – UNB
