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Fire terrorism is BNP’s planned game: PM
DHAKA, Nov 19, 2020 (BSS) – Prime Minister and Awami League (AL)
President Sheikh Hasina today strongly criticized the opportunist
quarter, including the BNP, for tarnishing country’s image by
spreading falsehood in the name of criticism of the government.
“Fire terrorism is BNP’s planned game,” the AL president told AL
secretariat meeting at Awami League Central office at Bangabandhu
Avenue, where she joined through virtual media from her official
residence Ganabhaban here.
She said during the polls to Dhaka-18 constituency held on November
12, they (BNP) torched some buses but a lawmaker (Harunur Rashid) of
BNP in the Jatiya Sangsad raised question whether their party men were
involved or not in the fire terrorism.
“BNP cannot avoid the responsibility of the attacks as I had a video
in which it showed that their party men were speaking about the plan
of the arson attacks,” Hasina said.
Reminding the past history of the grisly grenade attack on August
21, the AL chief, also a victim of the bombing, said, “They (BNP)
tried to make Awami League scapegoat for the misdeeds and spread
propaganda against us.”
“It is unfortunate that BNP men are spreading propaganda after going
abroad and slandering Bangladesh by speaking nonsense in many ways,”
she added.
The premier said, “Constructive criticism is a valuable tool in
politics that allows us to learn and grow but they (BNP) are
tarnishing the country’s image abroad by spreading propaganda.”
Pointing to the BNP, the Sheikh Hasina said, “The organization can
bring good funds by speaking ill about us from outside; you can still
bring funds by brandishing Bangladesh as poor and hungry state. But
where this fund goes, in what purpose it is used it must be brought
under accountability.”
The premier strongly condemned the media’s criticism of the
government’s advancement taking the scope of digitization and freedom
of expression.
“I know we have a section of urban people, we have digitalized it,
we have given licenses to private TV channels and we have given mobile
phones to everyone. Now using those, they are frequently making
criticism saying, it has happened, it has not happened and none sees
democracy here,” Sheikh Hasina said.
“When Ziaur Rahman illegally seized power through imposing martial
law, assassination, coup and conspiracy, then was there democracy? Or
Khaleda Zia came to power by rigging votes on February 15 (1996)
election, is that democracy?” she questioned.
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