Tell Khaleda Zia To Stop Killing People, Doing Politics With Dead Bodies, PM Urges All

"I urge all conscious people of the country, especially those who believe in the country's independence, to be united against criminalization. I also call on them to at least tell Khaleda Zia to stop killing people and doing politics with dead bodies," she said.

The Prime Minister made the appeal while participating in a discussion titled "BNP-Jamat's Arson Violence-Blood Stained Bangladesh" at the National Museum here this morning.

Central Publicity and Publication Sub-Committee of Bangladesh Awami League organized the discussion with its Chairman and PM's International Affairs Advisor HT Imam presiding.

AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud also spoke at the function, conducted by AL Cultural Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Noor.

Mafruha Begum, wife of Nuruzzaman Poplu who was killed along with his daughter in an arson attack on a bus at Chouddagram, Champa Begum, wife of Noor Alam who was burnt to death at Jatrabari petrol bomb attack, Mohammad Sumon who lost his mother and younger sister in Jatrabari arson attack, and Police Sergeant Golam Mawla who was critically injured in cocktails hurled by BNP-Jamaat terrorists in Shyamoli, Dhaka during the ongoing mindless violence of BNP-Jamaat-nexus, also expressed their agony and pain.

Ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, parliament members, diplomats, heads of different foreign missions, vice-chancellors and teachers of various universities, editors and senior journalists of different media were also present at the discussion.

Earlier, a documentary on BNP-Jamaat's atrocities and arson attacks on the people during the last one and half months was screened.

Sheikh Hasina broke into tears watching the documentary and listening to the pathetic stories of a number of burnt and affected persons, who became victims of mindless violence of the BNP-Jamat clique, at the function.

She was seen wiping tears with her handkerchief repeatedly. Besides, others who were present at the audience were seen crying during screening of the documentary and listening to the pathetic stories of a number of burnt and affected persons.

Mentioning that her government would do whatever needed to safeguard the life and property of the people, the Prime Minister also sought cooperation of the people to contain the heinous and mindless violence of BNP-Jamaat nexus.

She again termed the BNP-Jamaat's so-called movement as terrorist and militant acts, saying that there will be no place for militants and terrorists in the country.

"The politics of those who burn people with petrol bombs cannot be defined as politics, it is completely terrorist and militant acts," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said the politicians do politics for the welfare of the general masses. "If the people are killed then for whom the politics is?," she said in an emotion-charged voice.

The Prime Minister said they are committing violence and militancy. "People of Bangladesh and the state cannot be defeated to militancy and violence. They are taking revenge against people failing to garner people's support," she said.

She said when the country was marching ahead peacefully with sound socioeconomic indicators, for whom and which interest the barriers are being created.

"The people who have blood and flesh cannot tolerate such heinous and mindless acts. Almighty Allah surely try them who are burning people to death," she said.

Amid pin-drop silence, Sheikh Hasina said the ill-fated people who were killed by the BNP-Jamaat goons are completely innocent and they must get recognition as martyrs.

At the outset of her speech, the Prime Minister said there is no mood to deliver a speech after watching the documentary and listening to the pathetic stories of the burnt and affected people, who became victims of mindless violence of the BNP-Jamaat clique.

She said the atrocities and mindless violence being unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat nexus reminded her of the massacre carried out by the Pakistani invading forces during the War of Liberation.

"The people of Bangladesh never witnessed such cruel acts after 1971 and world people also did not hear such misdeeds of a political party," she said.

The Prime Minister said her party Bangladesh Awami League waged movement in the past by involving the people, not killing the people. "We do politics for the welfare of the people," she noted.

Sheikh Hasina said it has been mentioned in the holy Quran that the people who would commit sins would be burnt or thrown into the hell after their death. "But some people are now meting out the punishment that Allah is supposed to hand down," she said.

The Prime Minister posed a question why this killing and why burning people to death? Will the people have to experience the dreadfulness of hell before death?

"What is the benefit through the killing of innocent people? What does BNP-Jamaat want to achieve through destroying the country's economy? Against whom, they want to take revenge by crippling the people's livelihood?" she posed a question.

She said Jamaat is doing politics in the name of Islam. But they are meting out the punishment to the innocent people that Allah is supposed to give. Have they become stronger than Allah? That means they don't believe in religion and they are cheating the people.

The Prime Minister said there is no offence of the people who are becoming victims of the BNP-Jamaat's mindless violence and atrocities. "Burning the innocent people to death can't be accepted in any way," she said, urging the people to be vocal and put up resistance against such heinous acts.

Mentioning that her party is doing politics for saving the people, on the other hand, Begum Zia is continuing killing people.

"So please don't put us on the same scale. I don't do politics for myself, I do politics for people . . . politics won't give me anything. I have nothing to get and there is nothing to prove about it," she said.

The Prime Minister said she feels the agony and sorrow of the people who became the victims of BNP-Jamaat atrocities as she has lost all her near and dear ones. "The victims of BNP-Jamaat terrorism will have to survive with the death agony," she said.

She said many mothers lost their children, many wives lost their husbands and many children lost their mothers and fathers in the ongoing terrible rampage of BNP-Jamaat. "Why the innocent people will be killed and why playing ducks and drakes with them? What is their offence?"

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat clique let lose a reign of terror to resist the 5 January election. "As many as 200 people, including 20 law enforcers, were killed by their petrol bombs, handmade bombs and other sorts of violence," she said.

The Prime Minister said they vandalized, torched hundreds of vehicles and felled thousands of roadside trees. They also burnt small shops, government and private establishments and power plants, she said.

The BNP-Jamaat goons, she said, vandalized mosques, temples, pagodas and churches, and torched hundreds of copies of the holy Quran. "On the election day, they killed 26 people, including presiding officer and torched 582 schools across the country," she said.

The Prime Minister said the BNP-Jamaat nexus has again launched similar mindless violence since January 5 this year. "They are killing people by petrol bombs. So far 55 people have been killed and 550 wounded by petrol bomb and other attacks since January 5," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said they torched over 400 vehicles and 28 establishments, while incidents of 28 subversive acts occurred on rail routes and six in waterways.

Earlier, the Prime Minister witnessed a photo exhibition of horrific acts by BNP-Jamaat on the ground floor of the National Museum.

Photo: Yeasin Kabir Joy