DHAKA, Dec 14, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today came down heavily on BNP and its election partners for giving nominations to the persons convicted for corruption, militancy and war crimes saying it seemed that they would like to take the country’s politics to the ‘crime world’.
“It’s a misfortune for the people of Bangladesh as a political party picked up the persons for coming election who mostly were engaged in criminal activities,” she said.
She went on saying that “Some of those are collaborators of Pakistani army or their family members, some of them are perpetrators of the grenade attack on August 21, 2004.”
“Where they want to take the country by making those persons parliament members,” she said while addressing a discussion here today marking the Martyred Intellectuals’ Day.
“If they are elected to the parliament what will be the situation of Bangladesh and how people will get security of their lives and property…, and how the country would prosper?” she asked.
Bangladesh Awami League organized the discussion at Krishibid Institution auditorium with prime minister and president of the party Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The Prime Minister said the US Congress has also sent a list of the persons linked with terrorism and militancy which included some names of those persons. Canada Federal court also branded BNP as a militant organization rejecting petition of one their leaders seeking political asylum in that country, she added.
Sheikh Hasina questioned about the conscience of the persons who have been vocal against the government criticizing its activities. Now they (persons) have forged electoral unity with BNP and anti-liberation forces, she added.
“Politics should be dedicated to welfare of the people and development. But what will be the destiny of the country if those criminals are elected as parliament members?” she asked.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Minister for Relief and Disaster Management Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Joint Secretary of Awami League Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Organizing Secretaries Ahmed Hossain, BM Mozammel and AFM Bahauddin Nasim and central committee member Pervin Jahan Kalpona addressed the meeting, among others.
Dr. Nuzhat Chowdhury, daughter of martyred intellectual Dr Alim Chowdhury, Shami Kaiser, daughter of martyred intellectual Shahidullah Kaiser also spoke at the meeting conducted by party’s deputy publicity secretary Aminul Islam.
The prime minister said BNP had inducted many war criminals in the cabinet
to the disgrace of the whole nation. Some of those war criminals were
convicted and executed for their crimes, she said adding that the reality is
that- perhaps they (BNP) even don’t feel any shame for that.
Sheikh Hasina called upon people to identify those constituencies where
criminals were given nominations and accordingly boycott them completely.
“If the criminals are elected the country would be ruined, the country’s
image would be stained and current pace of development would be stalled,” she
said.
The Awami League president urged her party leaders and workers to go for
vigorous campaign against those criminals to let the people know about
theirmisdeeds.
Awami League leaders and workers should also make people understand that
how Bangladesh moved towards prosperity only when Awami League came to power
while other parties failed to do the same.
“Other parties excepting the Awami League never wanted Bangladesh to exist
in the world with its own dignity and keeping its head high. They killed the
intellectuals on December 14, 1971,” she said.
The prime minister said Bangladesh movies ahead as Awami League remains in
power upholding the ideals war of independence.
Recalling the mayhem of BNP led political parties in 2014 in the name of
movement the prime minister said they had tried to foil the election of the
10th Jatiya Sangsad, But their all attempts went in vain as people came with
resistance. Peoples’ pressure also forced Khaleda Zia to withdraw her self-
styled blockade across the country to topple the Awami League government in
2015, she said.
Highlighting her repeated strides to come to a solution with Khaleda Zia
on political issue in 2014 and 2015, the prime minister said her government
always tried to extend cooperation with political opponents to resolve all
problems peacefully.
In this regard she said her government didn’t lodge any case against
Khaleda Zia. Now, Khaleda Zia in serving in the jail in the corruption case
filed by the caretaker government in 2007, she said.
“If we would have wanted to file any political case against Khaleda Zia we
could have done it in 2014 and 2015,” she said.
Now Canada Police and FBI of USA are also ready to submit their depositions
in many corruption charges against Khaleda Zia, she added.
Criticizing Dr Kamal Hossain and others for forging electoral alliance with
the persons with criminal records the prime minister said she held talks with
them for peace and to hold the election in a decent atmosphere and allow
people to elect their genuine representatives.
“The dialogue helped bringing them to election. But, at that same time the
nation never expected the war criminals’ successors and followers, corrupt
persons and perpetrators of the August 21 grenade attack to be nominated in
the poll,” she said.
“I wondered, were there no competent candidates in BNP other than the
persons with criminal records?” Sheikh Hasina asked saying criminal records
might be the foremost requisite to win the BNP ticket in polls.