Whole Country Will Reject BNP: PM

"Why people will give them vote. People have to hate them forever who snatched away meals from peoples' mouth, killed people burning alive and caused their harm," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while distributing cheques among the relatives of the dead persons, injured persons and transport owners affected during the last-months' siege and hartal programmes of BNP led 20 party combine.

Addressing on the occasion held at Prime Minister's Tejgaon Office here today, Sheikh Hasina said the city corporation election yesterday was held in a healthy atmosphere with huge participation of the people.

"BNP intended to occur one or two killings and boycott the election. But the law enforcing agencies were very much careful. So they could not do this," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said yesterday's elections to two city corporations were more peaceful than five previous elections held in the country. Out of over 2,700 centres polling was postponed only in a few and trouble in some booths.

She said the city corporation polls were not only for mayors but also for councilors, so some incidents took place and police has taken immediate actions. "If we calculate, the incidents were very insignificant than any previous electoral trouble in Bangladesh and any other parts of the world," she said.

Ruling out the allegation of BNP of snatching voting rights of the people, the Prime Minister said how BNP candidates have got huge votes if they are prevented from exercising their franchise.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shariyar Alam and State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga were present, among others, on the occasion.

The Prime Minister today distributed a total of 258 cheques among the relatives of dead, injured people and transport owners amounting Taka 10,47,40,000. Out of this, relatives of dead and injured persons received 193 cheques of Taka 8,41,00,000 and 65 owners of transport owners received cheques of Taka Taka 2,06,40,000.

So far, the Prime Minister distributed 772 cheques of Taka 25,10,13,000 among the families affected during the three-month atrocities of BNP and Jamaat.

Pointing out that some elections held during the era of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, the Prime Minister said, "We have experience of 1981 president election, Yes-No vote in 1978, 1979 parliament election. We have also experience of 15 February, 1996 election, by- election in Dhaka, Mirpur by- election and Magura by-election during BNP regime.

"The situation has much been improved from that horrible state of overwhelming electoral rigging," she said adding, "we tried to introduce Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), as many developed countries and nearing India are using the system. But Khaleda Zia opposed it as she has evil intension of snatching vote."

Sheikh Hasina said Khaleda Zia has gone with her killing spree for three months, suspended the livelihood of the people, played drake and duck with the fate of 15 lakh SSC examinees. "How people give vote to the party even after committing such destructive activities," she asked.

In this regard the Prime Minister slammed advisor of BNP chairperson and former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Enajuddin Ahmed for his comment on yesterday's election.

"I ask him (Emajuddin) whether he has seen the 'Yes and No' vote of Zia? His Presidential vote and 1979 parliament election, 15 Febuary 1996 election of Begum Zia," Sheikh Hasina said adding they actually cannot see their own faults.

"There are section of people in our country, who are very much anxious with one particular thing. But they are completely silent about the sufferings of hundreds of people owe to the atrocities of BNP-Jamaat," she said.

The Prime Minister said many people have lost their near and dear ones in the atrocities of BNP and the government tried to stand beside the helpless people.

She said the government has taken all steps to extend support for treatment of the injured persons, provide security and financial support to maintain their lives.

"Such atrocities are very unfortunate, as we do politics for the cause of the common people. BNP-Jammat when they were in power or out of power do harm to the people," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh Awami League always remained beside the people of Bangladesh in the past and it will do so in future. "Our duty is to serving the people," she said.

The Prime Minister assured the victims of her government's firm stance for bringing the culprits of the atrocities and sabotage to book. She said law enforcing agencies were asked to arrest the saboteurs and persons responsible for hurling petrol bombs.

"The culprits would be arrested searching every hook and corners and cases will be filed and their punishment will be ensured. If they are not punished they will occur the same incidents in future," she said.