DHAKA, Dec 26, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today came down heavily on the Jatiya Oikyafront (JOF) for its terrosrist acts and ugly attitude, urging the AL leaders and workers not to step into their (JOF) provocation.
“The people don’t want to see the BNP-Jamaat in power. Knowing this, they are trying to commit various terrorist activities. They have already killed our five leaders and workers and torched our offices at different places of the country,” she said.
The premier added: Few days are left for elections. So I would like to request our leaders and workers to have patience. The BNP-Jamaat will do provocative work as committing terrorism is their character.”
The Awami League chief was addressing election rallies in Chandpur, Kushtia and Naogaon districts through a videoconference from her Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi here this afternoon.
The prime minister also called on her party leaders and workers to have patience for peaceful holding of the elections and to thwart any attempt of the BNP-Jamaat to foil the polls in any way.
“As we know we will win the polls and serve the people by forming the government again. So we will have to keep patience so that the elections are held peacefully and the BNP-Jamaat cannot foil the polls,” she said.
The prime minister referred to the JOF leaders’ ugly attitude in the Election Commission on Tuesday and rebuking the police in filthy language there.
“None is being spared from the Jatiya Oikyafront leaders’ loathsome behaviour. They got engaged in quarrel going to the Election Commission and also scolded the police in unspeakable language,” she said.
Pointing finger at Dr Kamal Hossain, the Awami League president said people do not expect such indecent behaviour from a person, who is labeled an internationally reputed lawyer.
Sheikh Hasina said Dr Kamal Hossain earlier made indecent remarks on the attorney general in the court.
“He also threatened reporters by uttering “khamosh” (shut up) and raised questions about their integrity and honesty … I wondered at his words and comments,” she said.
The prime minister said Dr Kamal Hossain scolded the police in dirty language, adding that they are giving hard labour day and night to maintain law and order in the country.
“The police are curbing militancy and terrorism and trying their best to maintain law and order in the country … it’s not acceptable to rebuke police in this way,” she said.
Strongly condemning Dr Kamal’s obnoxious attitude in the EC, Sheikh Hasina said: “We don’t behave such badly even towards our domestic help. It will not be acceptable to anybody and I strongly condemn it.”
She urged the Jatiya Oikyafront and the BNP-Jamaat to refrain from terrorist acts, and showing ugly attitude that they staged in the EC on Tuesday. “I hope they will stop such attitude,” she said.
The premier added that the people will not cast vote for them for uttering such words and making such comments. “There is no doubt that the people will surely reject them,” she said.
She said the people are the owners of vote and the country. “They will choose what type of government they want and whom they want,” she said.
Mentioning that the BNP-Jamaat alliance believes in terrorism, Sheikh Hasina said they are habituated with the politics of killing, coup and conspiracies.
The premier said they know the people of the country will vote for Awami League to keep up development spree. “The people don’t want to see the BNP-Jamaat for their various misdeeds like harbouring terrorism and militancy, money laundering, smuggling 10 truckloads of arms and carrying out August 21 grenade attack and embezzling orphans’ money in power,” she said.
Pointing out the BNP-Jamaat’s terrorist acts in different districts, the AL president said the BNP and Jamaat are continuing to unleash terrorism at every place. “They even attacked the house of our candidate in Chandpur Dr Dipu Moni,” she said.
In this way, she said, the BNP-Jamaat wanted to stage terrorist acts across the country. “It is their character because the BNP and Jamaat are the parties of war criminals,” she said.
The prime minister said it is unfortunate for the nation that the Jamaat-e-Islami who did not want Liberation War and opposed independence are the cohorts of the BNP and contesting with the BNP’s election symbol and Dr Kamal Hossain is leading the two parties.
The prime minister urged the countrymen to reelect the Awami League to keep up the country’s development spree and serve the people again.
“We’ve already executed many projects in the country while many mega schemes are under implementation. So, I call upon the countrymen to continue the pace of uplift and give us another scope to serve the people once again by casting votes for ‘boat’, the Awami League’s electoral symbol,” she said.
Highlighting her government’s successes in various fields, the AL chief said her party implemented its election manifestos when the AL came to power.
“We did more work than our commitment but there are some people who don’t see it. They are blind despite having eyes,” she said.
The prime minister said the Awami League’s election manifesto has given utmost importance to the youths as they are the country’s strength and they will bring prosperity for Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has reduced poverty rate to 21 percent from 41 percent over last 10 years. “We’ve brought the price of essentials within buying capacity of the common people and reached the civic amenities to every village,” she said.
The AL president said 93 percent people of the country are getting electricity as the government generated 20,000 MW power over the last 10 years.
The prime minister the nation will celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu in 2020 and the golden jubilee of independence in 2021. “We want to celebrate the two occasions with much festivity by establishing Bangladesh a hunger and poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has adopted the Delta Plan-2100 so that the generation after generation and those children who were just born get a beautiful life.
“We want the independence not to go in vain and everybody gets its fruits,” she said.
The AL and Mohajote candidates as well as local leaders of the three districts spoke at the rallies.
Earlier, the prime minister introduced the candidates to the people of the respective districts and urged them to elect them in the December 30 elections.
The candidates included Information Minister and JASOD President Hasanul Haque Inu (Kushtia), AL Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif (Kushtia), Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir (Chandpur) and Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman (Chandpur).