DHAKA – Noting that the people have no confidence in BNP’s politics, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the politics of personal interest never serves anything to the country and the people.
“The politics that is pursued for the personal gain never gives anything to the country and the people … the history will not forgive those who do such politics,” she said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks when leaders and workers of Bangladesh Awami Sechchasebak League (BASL) called on her at Ganabhaban here this morning on the occasion of its 24th founding anniversary.
“It’s proved that the country’s people have no confidence and trust in BNP’s politics as the party harboured terrorism, killings and destructive acts, and committed unbridled corruption during its rule from 2001 to 2006,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said those who plundered the public property in the past will do the same misdeed in the future to change their own fate if they come to state power again.
The premier said the BNP leaders and workers amassed such a huge amount of wealth through graft that they hired a US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent to kill Sajeeb Wazed Joy after kidnapping.
“The plot was unearthed by the FBI through a probe and a BNP leader was punished for it, while the names of BNP chairperson’s adviser Mahmudur Rahman and pro-BNP intellectual Shafiq Rehman came out in the investigation,” she said.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and BASL President Molla Md Abu Kawsar spoke at the function, while BASL General Secretary Pankaj Devnath moderated it.
Earlier, the leaders of Sechchasebak League greeted the Prime Minister by presenting a bouquet.
In her speech, the prime minister referred to the killing and torturing of the Awami League leaders and looting and torching of their houses by the BNP-Jamaat terrorists from 2001 to 2006.
She also mentioned the mindless violence and arson attacks unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat nexus to foil the January 5 elections in 2014.
Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat terrorists killed presiding and assistant presiding officers during the polls, torched a power plant and murdered its engineer throwing into the fire.
“They also killed 27 members of the law enforcement agencies. Besides political leaders, they did not spare children, women and teachers and even poultry and dairy farms,” she said.
The founding anniversary of the BASL coincided with the birthday of Joy, the ICT adviser to the prime minister and grandson of Bangabandhu.
At the outset of the function, the leaders and workers of BASL greeted Joy chanting thunderous slogans on the occasion of his birthday.
The prime minister asked the BASL leaders to project the Awami League government’s successes and achievements before the people and seek their votes in favour of ‘boat’, the election symbol of AL.
“You’ll have to seek vote for ‘boat’ as it will serve peace, progress and development … you’ll have to tell the successes of the government repeatedly to the people,” she said.
The Awami League president said it is the reality that the people forget their past sorrow when they get happiness.
“We want that the people live with the memory of happiness. But you’ll have to tell what was the position of the country in the past, its present and future state and what will we do for the people in the days ahead,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina directed the BASL leaders and workers to strengthen their organization and work with discipline. “Bangladesh Awami League is our main organization. But the associate bodies, including the BASL, are needed for making our programmes successful. So, you’ll have to further strengthen your organization keeping this in mind,” she said.
Referring to the imprisonment of Khaleda Zia, the premier said she is serving jail term as she embezzled the orphans’ money. “The stalwart lawyers of the BNP could not prove Khaleda Zia innocent. So, there is no benefit of demanding her release to us,” she said.
In this connection, the premier questioned how the country will be served by those who cannot check themselves from the greed of orphans’ money?
Elaborating her government’s tremendous achievements in different sectors, the premier said the people are now getting the touch of development. A scope for living beautifully in the country has been created for the people.
“We’ve implemented the two five-year plans and a 10-year perspective plan. Now we’re working to adopt a 20-year long-term plan from 2021-2041 to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country free from hunger and poverty,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is also working with the 100-year delta plan to take Bangladesh at the top position of the world.
Recalling the birthday of Joy, the prime minister said July 27 is an important day to her. “My first child Joy was born on this day when I was detained by the Pakistani occupation forces … the day coincided with the founding anniversary of the BASL,” she said, seeking doa and blessing for her and Joy.
