PM Vows To Establish Peace By Defeating Perpetrators Of Terrorism

"Bangalee nation is invincible. They never conceded defeat and this time they can't be overpowered. We would never surrender to militants...we would surely defeat the ferocious `hayenas', who are killing the innocent people across the country in the name of hartal and blockade," she said.

"We would establish peace by defeating the perpetrators responsible for burning people to death and other terrorist acts across the country. It's our commitment...Insha Allah we would be successful," she added.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the International Rotary Peace Conference Bangladesh 2015 at Hotel Radisson in the city this morning.

Rotary International President-elect KR Ravindran was present as the special guest at the conference organized by Rotary Club Dhaka Mohanagar.

District Governor of Rotary International District 3281 Safina Rahman and District Governor of Rotary International District 3282 Engineer MA Latif spoke on the occasion, while Chairperson of the conference Aftabul Islam delivered the welcome address and President of Rotary Club Dhaka Mohanagar Niaz Rahim gave the vote of thanks.

The Rotary Invocation was read out by past District Governor MA Awal.

Sheikh Hasina said historical evidences tell that the Bangalee nation never bowed down their heads before the oppressors.

"Bangalees protected the dignity of the mother tongue through letting their bloods in 1952; ousted the autocrat Ayub regime in 1969, and we earned our motherland's independence in 1971 sacrificing three million lives," she said.

The Prime Minister said as the country's economy was marching forward recouping the losses of their destructive acts, the BNP and Jamaat again are waging a war against the countrymen.

"They are again engaged in killing-spree and became crazy to protect war criminals and plunderers of wealth....they took the path to terrorize the people by killing them," she said.

Sheikh Hasina posed a question saying what BNP-Jamaat wants to achieve through killing innocent people?

"I sometime get perplexed as to who we are doing politics for. Our politics is for the common people. But what BNP-Jamaat wants to achieve through killing innocent people?" she said

The Prime Minister said BNP boycotted the 5 January election and it was their mistake. "But why the people of Bangladesh would suffer for their mistake?" she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the terrorists have so far killed as many as 55 people through hurling petrol bombs.

"Several hundred people are maimed and languishing at the hospital beds with severe pain and agonies. The air of the burn units of the hospitals turned heavy with foul smells of the burnt people," she said.

The Prime Minister said the countrymen know who are behind the inhuman mindless acts. "The countrymen never saw ever before such brutality like killing of innocent people by hurling petrol bombs," she said.

Sheikh Hasina noted that the BNP-Jamaat alliance also let lose a similar heinous reign of terror to resist the 5 January election and protect war criminals.

"They torched and vandalised hundreds of vehicles. They felled thousands of trees beside the roads and highways and killed 150 people as well as 20 members of police, BGB and army," she said.

The Prime Minister said more than 200 people have been killed by their violent attacks, petrol bombs, and arson. Government offices, power plants, business establishments, roadside shops and even innocent cattle were not spared from their vengeance.

She said mosques, temples and pagodas were vandalised and torched, while hundreds of copies of holy Quran were burnt to ashes in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

"Hundreds of railway compartments and engines were destroyed or damaged by uprooting fishplates and tracks," she said.

On the election-day, she said, they torched 582 schools and killed 26 people, including presiding officer. After the election, they vandalised and torched numerous houses of the minority community and Awami League supporters.

Mentioning that the people of Bangladesh don't like extremism, Sheikh Hasina said they are always vocal against terrorism. "We are showing zero tolerance to any form of terrorism and committed not to sheltering anybody or any organisation to carry out subversive activities against any country using the soils of Bangladesh," she said.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh's commitment and contribution to global peace is further reaffirmed through its support to the UN as a top troops and police-contributing country in its peacekeeping missions.

"Bangladesh contributed the highest number of women police to UN peacekeeping, commensurate with our credentials of empowerment of women," she said.

Sheikh Hasina urged the Rotarians to continue their efforts for establishing peace across the world by removing all barriers.

"I hope that the Rotarians will continue their efforts for establishing peace removing the walls that divide the capable and the incapable, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless," she said.

The Prime Minister said all will have to remember that development or peace cannot be achieved keeping a major section of the society under-developed. "The wealthy and enlightened section of the society can play an important role in establishing peace through eradicating poverty, illiteracy, and superstition," she said.

Sheikh Hasina observed that Rotary has been working for over a century with the motto of 'Service beyond Self' for the development of communities and for furthering peace in the world.

She said Rotary has been performing commendable jobs for socioeconomic development of Bangladesh. "Their activities in the areas of water supply and sanitation, halting major diseases, maternal and child health, education and literacy, and economic development are worth mentionable," she said.

Highlighting her government's stunning success in different fields including agriculture, health, economy and poverty alleviation, the Prime Minister said poverty rate has been reduced to 24 percent from 41.5 percent in the last six years.

"We have set a goal of cutting the poverty rate by 10 more percent in the next four years," she said.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol