How Khaleda can seek vote for 'bus' which she torched? : PM

"Over the last three months, the BNP leader hurled petrol bombs and cocktails to kill people and torch buses. With the same hands, she is now distributing leaflets to seek votes for her party candidates contesting the city corporation elections," she said.

"How can she seek votes in favour of 'bus', the symbol of her party candidate in Dhaka North City Corporation, which she set alight during their so-called movement?" the Premier asked.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said: "Most of the money supplied by Abdul Awal Mintoo was used to burn people and torch buses. But Khaleda Zia is now going to the doors of people to seek vote for that 'bus' symbol."

The Prime Minister said this while addressing as the chief guest a discussion at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh auditorium at Farmgate in the capital this afternoon.

Bangladesh Krishak League (BKL) organized the discussion on the occasion of its 43rd founding anniversary.

Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, former food minister and Agriculture and Cooperatives Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Dr Abdur Razzaque, and AL Organizing Secretary and Krishibid Institution President Agriculturist AFM Bahauddin Nasim spoke on the occasion.

BKL President Alhaj Md Motahar Hossain Mollah chaired the discussion, while General Secretary Advocate Khandakar Shamsul Haque Reza gave the welcome address.

It was also addressed by former BKL president Agriculturist Mirza Abdul Jalil, BKL Senior Vice-President Advocate Khan Altaf Hossain Bhulu, Vice-Presidents Chhabi Biswas, MP, Sharif Ashraf, Alhaj Sheikh Jahangir Alam, Akbar Ali Chowdhury, Abdul Latif Tarin, Advocate Shah Ashraful Haque George and ATM Azizur Rahman Bulbul, Joint Secretaries Advocate Umme Kulsum, MP, and Rezaul Karim, Organizing Secretaries Shakilur Rahman Sohag and Agriculturist Shakhawat Hossain Sweet.

At the function, BKL Joint Secretary Advocate Umme Kulsum and Organizing Secretary Shakhawat Hossain Sweet handed over a copy of BKL publication "Krishaker Kantho" to the Prime Minister.

Taking a swipe at the media for giving so much coverage to the BNP leader's election campaign instead of the development works she inaugurated in the rail sector yesterday, the Prime Minister said the media make headlines if the people and buses are burnt.

"But the development works don't get due coverage and there is no value of the development works to the media. Why such poorness?" she asked.

Sheikh Hasina said the people hate those who burn the people to death. Those who kill the people in this way would be treated with abhorrence and would earn the hatred of people, she said.

The Prime Minister said the people could not open their shops and business establishments for the last three months due to mindless atrocities unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat nexus.

"But the BNP leader was seen yesterday seeking vote from a shopkeeper at Gulshan and he (the shopkeeper) was seen laughing exposing his teeth," she said.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said how the people can forget that they could not do business and counted losses over the three months.

"Why those who kill and burn people and destroy and torch buses and trucks would get applause from the people. What a strange country we are living in!" she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP leader promised that she won't go back home without toppling the government and later she confined herself in her Gulshan office for 92 days. "Awami League government remains in power. But didn't she (Khaleda) get back home?" she asked.

In the meantime, she said, Begum Khaleda Zia made the life of the people hell and unbearable by killing, burning and vandalizing. "The BNP-Jamaat terrorists killed over 150 people and even pregnant women and tiny tots were not spared from their hands," she said.

"They set fire to buses, launches, CNGs, rails, rice-laden trucks, cow-laden trucks and chicken-carrying vehicles everywhere and kicked on the bellies of the farmers, workers, and day-labourers," she said.

Referring to the mindless violence committed by the BNP-Jamaat in the last three months, the Prime Minister said they cannot make development of the country, they only know the politics of destruction. "It is the reality," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government takes the country forward, while the BNP takes the country backward. "We want that the country will move forward keeping its head high, on the other hand, the BNP wants to turn Bangladesh into a beggars' nation by keeping it dependent on others," she said.

Elaborating various steps of her government for the welfare of the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister said utmost priority has been given to agriculture sector aimed at making the country self-sufficient in food production, ensuring food security and building food stock to face any possible disastrous situation.

"As a result, the country is now not only self-reliant in food production, but has also started exporting rice meeting the country's domestic demand," she added.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that the government modernized and diversified the agriculture sector as well as improved market management system and ensured fare price of agriculture products.

Citing success of Bangladeshi scientists for decoding genome sequence of jute and invention of suitable technology, strategy and variety of crops, including salinity, drought and flood-tolerant paddy, she said such successes created new dimension in the agriculture sector.

In this regard, the Prime Minister noted that international agencies showed reluctance so that the government does not provide subsidy to agriculture sector. Defying their advice, the government is giving a huge amount of subsidy and assistance to the agriculture sector taking it as a national obligation.

Sheikh Hasina said her government over the last six years has given Taka 43,266 crore agricultural development support in addition to 25 percent subsidy for agricultural machinery.

Agricultural Components Assistance Cards have been given to about 1.45 crore farmers allowing them to open bank accounts at Taka 10 only to avail the assistance, she said, assuring more cards would be provided, if necessary.

The Prime Minister said the agricultural assistance not only helped constant increase of production of rice but also vegetables, fruits, milk, egg, fish and meat.

"Bangladesh is now fourth in producing sweet water fish in the world," she said.

Due to the government support, she said, the rice production rose to 383.43 lakh metric tons in 2013-2014 fiscal year which was 333 lakh MT in 2008-2009. "We have started exporting coarse rice," she said.

Sheikh Hasina urged the leaders and workers of Krishak League to work for the welfare of the people, particularly those involved in agriculture and make Bangladesh a happy and prosperous nation as dreamt by Bangabandhu.

Photo: Yeasin Kabir Joy