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Asked if she feared any backlash as the drive was underway against
corruption, the premier said her dictionary did not contain any word called
“fear”.

“I would not have started drive against corruption if I was afraid of it .
. . I’m not a person to be sacred of anything,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her political background and commitment prompted her to
launch the campaign pointing out that she was born and brought up in a
political family and was involved in politics from her early life.

She said whenever the law enforcement agencies carried out the the drives,
they did not consider the political backgrounds or affiliations of their
suspects.

“I have already said, I should start from my own house, otherwise you’ll
say that it’s is a politically-motivated campaign to harm someone,” said
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Awami League.

The premier, however, called BNP “mine of corruption” while they emerged in
politics through corrupt means after the Father of the Nation’s 1975
assassination.

She said military dictator Ziaur Rahman and his BNP party initiated the
culture of killings, coups and corruption and wondered “how dare they could
(BNP) utter words over graft as their chairperson and her sons were convicted
for corruption and their chairperson even embezzled the fund meant for
orphans”.

Asked if the corrupt elements beyond the political arena too would be
exposed to justice, she said that these elements were not being held on any
criteria as whenever any specific allegation was found against anyone, the
accused were being arrested.

“A criminal is a criminal no matter he or she belongs to any party. Whoever
will commit any crime, will be held,” she said.

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