Government will Do Everything to Protect Life and Property: PM

"I would like to tell the people of all levels to build resistance and to be well-organized against the militants, terrorists and bomb exploders. We won't allow anybody to destroy peace of the people and we would do everything to protect their life and property," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, urged the people to hand over the culprits involved in terrorism, anarchy and bomb explosion to the police.

"Let the policemen help to arrest the terrorists who make and hurl bombs in your locality. They would be brought to justice and given exemplary punishment," she added.

The Prime Minister issued this warning while addressing a mammoth public rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the city this afternoon.

Bangladesh Awami League organized the rally on the occasion of the 44th Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

With senior presidium member of the party and Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair, the rally was addressed, among others, by AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta, Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Mohammad Nasim, General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Joint Secretaries Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Organizing Secretary Krishibid AFM Bahauddin Nasim.

Besides, Dhaka City AL President MA Aziz and General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam and presidents and general secretaries of AL's associate bodies spoke at the meeting conducted by AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity and Publication Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil.

Thousands of leaders and workers of Bangladesh Awami League and associate bodies from different parts of the capital as well as adjoining districts of Dhaka city joined the rally carrying colourful banners, festoons and portraits of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina and beating drums.

Terming Begum Khaleda Zia as the "queen" of terrorism, militancy and corruption, Sheikh Hasina urged the BNP chairperson to stop "julum" (repression) and torture on the people. "Otherwise, the consequences would be the worst if the people become furious."

She said it would not be tolerated that "Khaleda Zia would kill and confine people by holding the hands of war criminal Jamaat".

"The people want peace and security and I would like to tell clearly Khaleda Zia to stop repression and atrocities on the people and you will have to pay for the mistake you did in politics," she added.

The Prime Minister said Begum Zia wants to destroy the country's peace, development and stability by enforcing hartal and blockades.

"Bangladesh is a victorious nation which earned independence by defeating those whom Khaleda Zia thinks her lords. We would never tolerate terrorism and militancy and playing ducks and drakes by the Razakars, Al-Badrs and cohorts of the defeated forces with the fate of the people," she said.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said her government would advance with the programmes it has undertaken for changing the lot of the people and ensuring their socioeconomic development.

"Bangladesh would be turned into a middle income country before 2021 and a prosperous and developed one by 2041," she hoped.

The Prime Minister said Begum Zia's son Tarique Rahman is conducting terrorist activities in the country from abroad and he turned Bangladesh into a den of graft in the past by opening "Hawa Bhaban".

"Tarique has not only amassed wealth through corruption, he also killed 22 Awami League leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman by carrying out the grisly grenade attack on an AL rally. Now he is conducting terrorist and militant activities from abroad. Like mother like son," she mentioned.

The Prime Minister said if a political leader takes a wrong decision he or she and his or her party will have to pay for the decision. "Khaleda Zia took a wrong decision by not participating in the last polls. So she and her party will have to pay for it. Why would you kill the people of the country and inflict torture and repression?" she said.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that her government would do everything necessary for protecting the life, dignity and property of the people. "None could refrain us from doing this. There is a limit to having patience," she said.

The Prime Minister blasted Khaleda Zia for enforcing blockade during the first phase of Biswa Ijtema. "She is staging such a movement that she did not hesitate to enforce blockade during the Ijtema, the largest Muslim congregation after Hajj. Why should she do so if she has attachment to Islam?"

She said Jamaat-e-Islami which does politics in the name of Islam also remained silent about the enforcement of blockade during the Ijtema.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina thanked law enforcement agencies and AL leaders and workers to help hold the three-day Biswa Ijtema peacefully.

The Prime Minister said Begum Zia could not resist the January polls through BNP-Jamaat's terrorist and militant acts before the election.

"Now a ghost has possessed her to wage a movement against the government the way her party did before the January polls. She calls hartals and blockades, but who responds to calls for hartal and blockade?"

Sheikh Hasina said Begum Zia is unleashing terrorist and militant acts with Jamaat-e-Islami in the name of so-called movement. "She is a leader of militants and terrorists," Sheikh Hasina said.

Coming down heavily on BNP for its claim that the present government is an illegitimate one, Sheikh Hasina questioned that Bangladesh's candidates would have not won in the CPA and IPU elections had the government been illegal.

"Bangladesh has been advancing in all sectors and the country has been recognized as a role model in the world. The whole world understands it but Begum Zia and her "kulangar" (black sheep) son do not want to understand," she said.

Sheikh Hasina once again ruled out the claim of BNP that the government has confined Begum Zia to her Gulshan office saying that her confinement is totally voluntary.

"Begum Zia can go to her residence any time she wishes. But she will not do it. She is living lavish life in the party office and instigating her supporters to carry out bomb attack, set fire and killing innocent people," she said.

About the trial of war criminals, Sheikh Hasina said her government is holding the trial of 1971 culprits as per Awami League's election commitment.

"The judgement of the war criminals is being pronounced and verdict is been executed to free the nation from stigma," she said.

Spelling her government's stunning success in the fields of agriculture, education, health, economy and digitization, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is one of the five countries which made tremendous economic progress despite economic recession.

"We have been able to bring down inflation rate to 6.1 percent from 12/13 percent in 2009 as the prices of essentials are now within buying capacity of the public," she said.

The Prime Minister said her government has started the work of the Padma Bridge through its own funding as Bangladesh is economically self-reliant.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol