Dhaka, Dec 17 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday wanted to know who will lead the government if Jatiya Oikya Front forms it winning the upcoming parliamentary elections.“I want to ask a question here. Who’ll be their head of the government? Is it she [Khaleda Zia] who embezzled the money of orphans, or the convict [Tarique Rahman] who killed Ivy Rahman in the August 21 grenade attack or any other person from Razakar force whom we awarded sentence for war crimes? They’re yet to make it clear,” she said addressing a discussion in the city.
Bangladesh Awami League arranged the discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on the occasion of the Victory Day. AL President Sheikh Hasina chaired the discussion. Coming down heavy on Dr Kamal Hossain and other Oikyafront leaders, Sheikh Hasina said those who have got deviated from ethics and ideology can give nothing to the nation.
“I feel pity for them because they’ve deviated! Now they don’t have any values ethics.”
He also questioned the identity of those got united under the banner of Oikyafront. “Who’re those who got united today?”
The AL President said ‘renowned persons’ who want to mislead people with their theoretical words are now associates of the anti-liberation forces and war criminals. “They’ve now joined hands with corrupt elements, killers and arms smugglers. But why did they do it? It’s my question,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina questioned how war criminals who do not want this Bangladesh got BNP’s nomination and candidacy.
Describing her government’s successes in different sectors, she said the AL government had been able to establish at least the dignity of Bangladeshis in the global arena.
Bangladesh is marching forward with the spirit through which the country’s independence was earned. “Bangladesh will continue to move forward. No one can take Bangladesh backwards anymore,” Hasina added.
Turning to the next general election billed for December 30, she said she has confidence and trust in the people of Bangladesh as they never commit any mistake. “No one can snatch their voting rights and constitutional rights,” she added.
The ‘Boat’ is the symbol of people as they had achieved the country’s independence and right to the mother tongue for this symbol, the Prime Minister said. “Since people gave their mandate in favour of the symbol, Bangladesh is now marching forward. It has graduated to a developing country from a least developed one, conquered the space launching Bangabandhu-1 satellite into the orbit and settled the land boundary disputes with India.”
She said her government has brought down the poverty rate to 21 percent and it will be possible to reduce the rate by 5-6 percent further if Awami League is re-elected for another five-year term in the upcoming national election.
The Prime Minister said the anti-liberation forces, killers, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, killers of intellectuals, grenade attackers, corrupt persons, arms smugglers and convicts never allow the country to move forward.
Seeking votes for the ‘Boat, Hasina said she wants to serve the country for building it as a developed, prosperous one as dreamt by Father of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Awami League leaders, including its general secretary Obaidul Quader, Tofail Ahmed, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, and noted writer and historian Prof Muntasir Mamoon, spoke on the occasion.
