Khaleda Zia Back Home With Disgrace Of Defeat: PM

"The BNP leader had promised that she won't return home until the fall of the present government. But she was not fortunate to return home with garlands after toppling the government. Rather she has returned home with the disgrace of failure after surrendering to the court," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said this while delivering her introductory speech at a meeting of the leaders of Dhaka North and South Units of the party at her official Ganobhaban residence here this afternoon.

The meeting was convened to congratulate the Awami League leaders and workers who had immense contribution to foil the three-month-long hartals and blockades enforced by the BNP-Jamaat nexus.

AL Presidium Members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Advocate Sahara Khatun, City AL President MA Aziz and Joint Secretary Advocate Qamrul Islam were present at the dais.

Congratulating the people, especially the leaders and workers of Awami League and its associate bodies, the Prime Minister said they have huge contribution to foil the BNP-Jamaat movement.

"It's the victory of the people. It's the victory of those who want to uphold independence and believe in the spirit of the War of Liberation. It's the victory of those who want socioeconomic development of the people and materialize the dream of the Father of the Nation by building Sonar Bangla," she said.

Putting emphasis on retaining this win, Sheikh Hasina also called upon the leaders and workers of the party to remain united so that none can impede the way to socioeconomic uplift of Bangladesh.

"Kalboishakhi can hit anytime, cyclone can hit anytime. But we will have to get always ready to face any nor'wester or cyclone. I know you have been alert. But you will have to be more careful," she said.

The Prime Minister said her government won't allow anybody to harm the people as the country achieved its hard-earned independence in exchange of blood of millions of martyrs under the leadership of Bangabandhu.

"Our goal is to develop the country and we want to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous nation. I have firm belief that the Awami League could be able to achieve the goal as the party brought independence of the country under the leadership of Bangabandhu," she said.

Expressing her firm determination that Awami League would reach the fruits of independence to every house, Sheikh Hasina directed the leaders and workers of her party to strengthen the organization and always remain beside the people.

"You will have to share the weal and woe of the people and work with them as they are our strength. The people are the owner of the Republic-it has been mentioned in article 7 of the constitution," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the aim of her party is to ensure welfare of the people. "It is also a provision of the constitution and it is a directive of Bangabandhu and we will have to advance by abiding by the order and ideology of the Father of the Nation," she said.

Accusing BNP of doing destructive politics in the country, the Prime Minister said Awami League creates many things when in power, on the other hand BNP destroys everything when it comes to power. "The BNP doesn't do politics for the welfare of the people, they remain busy with taking 'commission' by opening Hawa Bhaban," she said.

The AL chief said the people remain in comfort and the country is rewarded and becomes a role model in the world when Awami League is in power. "But the country was plunged into terrorism, corruption and militancy when BNP comes to power."

The Prime Minister said the BNP-Jamaat nexus unleashed terrorism and militancy for the last three months in the name of hartal and blockade. "They burnt over 150 people to death and torched buses, trucks, CNGs, launches and trains during the period," she said, adding they committed same crimes in 2013.

Sheikh Hasina said the peace-loving people of the country rejected the hartal and blockade. "But despite that Begum Zia is enforcing the destructive programmes like the "broken record".

Spelling out her government's stunning success in different fields, she said, the country's economy is now on a strong footing, power generation capacity has risen to 13 thousand MW and poverty rate has gone below 24 percent due to pragmatic steps of the government.

Besides, she said, her government developed the infrastructures of rail, road and other sectors of the country including construction of many flyovers, overpasses and big bridges across the country during the time.

"Dhaka city in particular could now be compared with any of the developed cities of the world thanks to construction of flyovers, overpasses and removing power and water scarcity," she said.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol