Dr Kamal, civil society members have gone under convicts’ leadership: PM

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DHAKA, Nov 27, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today came down
heavily on Dr Kamal Hossain and some civil society members for joining hands
with BNP-Jamaat nexus, saying they have gone under the leadership of
convicted persons.

“Dr Kamal Hossain and some civil society members joined hands with those
leaders of a party who were convicted for corruption, embezzling orphans’
money, 10-truck arms smuggling and the August 21 grenade attack…To whom they
went for protecting democracy?” she said.

Sheikh Hasina added that they had gone under the leadership of those who
were convicted for harbouring terrorism and militancy in the country.
“They’ve forged unity with the convicted people to restore democracy…it’s
very unfortunate for Bangladesh,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing a function here this evening where
more than 150 retired officers of Army, Navy and Air Force expressed
solidarity with the Awami League and pledged to work for the party’s victory
in the upcoming national election.

PM’s Security Adviser Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, Ex-
Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Wadud,
Rear Admiral (retd) Harunur Rashid, Major General (retd) Helal Morshed Khan,
Air Commodore (retd) Kazi Delwar Hossain and Lt Col (retd) Kaniz Fatema also
spoke on the occasion, among others.

AL Presidium Member Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruq Khan, its Joint
Secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman and Organising Secretary
AFM Bahauddin Nasim and BM Mozammel Haque were present on the dais.

Earlier, the retired armed forces officers greeted the prime minister by
presenting bouquets.

Of them, 109 were Army officers, 19 Navy officers and 18 are Air Force
officers.

The prime minister said Dr Kamal Hossain and others are always vocal
against terrorism and corruption. “But for saving democracy, they gathered at
such a place of which leaders were involved in terrorism and corruption,” she
said.

She said Dr Kamal Hossain and some civil society members always speak about
various principles. “By joining hands with corrupts and terrorists, to where
have gone their principles and under whom they’re taking nominations?”

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina posed a question what type of democracy
they want to bring in the country by forging a unity with corrupts and
terrorists.

“My question is that where is lack of democracy and what is its
definition…what type of democracy they want to give and they could not say
that definition,” she said.

The prime minister said how those, who did not abide by laws, will
establish the rule of law and root out militancy and terrorism from the
country. “I don’t know how Bangladesh will be developed by those who
destroyed the country,” she said.

About her dialogue with Jatiya Oikyafront, led by Dr Kamal Hossain, Sheikh
Hasina said: “They wanted to talk to us and we held dialogue (with them) as
many as they wanted. We did it to create a beautiful environment and the
elections are held”.

In this connection, she urged the countrymen to stay alert against those
who are always engaged in conspiracy. “You will have to remain careful about
those who always hatch plots against the country and its people,” she said.

The prime minister said there are some people in the country who always
utter beautiful words and speak about various principles. “But, we see many
times that they give up their principles and their personal interests take
place there,” she said.

Recalling Bangabandhu’s outstanding leadership in liberating the country
and rebuilding war-ravaged Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said losing Bangabandhu
within three and a half years of the country’s independence was a great loss
for the nation.

“Bangladesh would have been turned into a developed and prosperous country
within 10 years of the independence had Bangabandhu been alive,” she said.

The prime minister said she has been working hard to implement an ideology
and spirit. “My all efforts are for materialising an ideology and spirit and
I sacrificed everything of my life for it,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the Father of the Nation struggled his entire life with
a dream, spirit and ideology to liberate the country. “But my only thinking
is now to materialise Bangabandhu’s dream by making the independence
meaningful and reaching its fruits to the people…I must do it,” she said.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s tremendous development over the last 10 years,
the premier said her government has been able to bring down to poverty rate
to 21 percent. “Our goal is to cut poverty rate by 4/5 percent further in the
future and then we can declare Bangladesh as a poverty-free country,” she
said.

“We’ve increased GDP growth rate to 7.86 percent and our target is to take
it to the double digit,” she added.

Spelling her government’s steps for further modernisation and development
of the armed forces, the prime minister said: “We want peace and don’t want
to engage in war with anybody. But we must have preparations to resist if
anybody attacks the country,” she said.

“The armed forces are symbol of our independence and sovereignty and they
will have to be modernised and developed keeping this in mind,” she added.

In this connection, the prime minister said Bangabandhu had adopted an
excellent defence policy. “Now we’re developing our armed forces in the light
of his policy,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the retired armed forces officers for expressing
their solidarity with the Awami League and pledging to work unitedly for the
party in the upcoming elections.

“By casting votes for boat, we achieved the independence and ensured the
development of the country,” she said.