Khaleda engaged in violence, militant activities: PM:Daily Sun

Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday accused BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for using violence and doing militant activities in the name of mass movement. “BNP has been killing people and destroying public property like Jamaat,” she said at the inauguration of a biennial programme of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) at Engineers Institution in the capital. Portraying the recent
spate of violence across the country, the premier termed the ongoing movement of BNP acts of violence. “It’s not a movement, rather an act of violence. This is not a mass movement, rather militancy.” Even amid the latest spate of violence, she hoped that the government would be able to reach its target. “We’ll be able to increase gross domestic products but you see some destructive activities. Many have involved themselves in such acts being failed to get public support… This is unfortunate.” Claiming that militancy marked a sharp rise during the last BNP-Jamaat regime, Hasina said, “The whole country seemed to be reigned by the militants with the creations of anti-social elements like Bangla Bhai. We controlled the situation after assuming office.” She alleged that BNP boycotted last parliamentary polls as Election Commission cancelled Jamaat’s registration. “But they ran mayhem to foil the polls.” Centring last polls, BNP-Jamaat enforced hartal for 31 days between November 26 and January 12 demanding the polls under a caretaker administration. Although last year passed with relative calm and comfort, the BNP-led alliance has now enforced countrywide rail-road-waterway blockade, the PM went on. BNP called the programme after being failed to address a rally marking January 5 as democracy killing day. Hinting at Khaleda, Hasina said, “Her blockade means killings and arson attacks on buses. That is, they are doing the work supposed to be done by Jamaat.” Recalling those turbulent days before last polls, she said, “The country would have experienced a state of emergency like 2007 or any undemocratic system… Democracy was strengthened through the January 5 polls.” The premier told the story of her party’s defeat in 2001 polls as she did not agree to sell the country’s gas. “BNP assumed office through a bond of providing country’s gas to foreigners.” “I’m the daughter of Bangabandhu and I don’t do politics of power, rather I do politics for people. The country won independence through blood. We don’t do such politics to hand over country’s wealth to foreign countries for power.” Hasina, also president of Awami League, said former US president Jimmy Carter came to Bangladesh during the caretaker regime of Justice Latifur Rahman who hosted a luncheon for Carter in his residence. “Khaleda Zia, Mannan Bhuiyan, Zillur Rahman and I were invited as the issue was supposed to be settled there. But I told them straight that I don’t know much about gas reserves in the country. Of the amount, first I’ll meet the local demand and make a stock for 50 years. The additional amount may be sold.” The premier said it was the final stage and she expressed her firm stance but the BNP chief signed the bond to sell gas. She spoke highly of the successes and steps taken by her government to develop sectors like power, agriculture, health, education and infrastructure. Hasina and former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque were declared lifetime honourary members of the economic association. BEA Chairman Abul Barakat presided over the programme. Former finance minister of Paschimbanga Ashok Mitra, Bangladesh’s first Planning Commission vice-chairman and now Washington-based Food Policy Research Institute’s research fellow Prof Nurul Islam, first Planning Commission member Prof Mosharraf Hossain and former Bangladesh Bank governor Lutfar Rahman were awarded for their role in economy.