BNP May Try To Create Trouble Again: PM Warns

The Prime Minister said this at a function on the occasion of inaugurating Fire Service and Civil Defence Station and laying foundation of Shaheed Shamsunessa Arju Moni Mother and Child Welfare Centre at Hazaribagh in the city this evening.

"It may appear that the disaster is over. But, it's not sure that man-made disaster that the people experienced from January to March this year would not come again as BNP has no faith in democracy," she said.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the countrymen to compel BNP chairperson to go back to her home and appear in the court in graft case, saying being failed to get public support BNP-Jamaat retreated from their undemocratic venture of unseating the Awami League government.

The Prime Minister said BNP while in power did nothing for development of the country. Even they are creating trouble when we are trying to go ahead with development programmes and propel the country forward, she added.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan and State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malek attended the function as special guests while local parliament member Sheikh Fazley Noor Tapos was in the chair.

Home Secretary Dr Mozammel Haq Khan, Health Secretary Monjurul Islam and Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan also spoke on the occasion.

Sheikh Hasina said Awami League has come to power to serve the people and all development programmes are being taken with the goal. Our government is striving to give the people of the country a prosperous life, she said.

Pointing out the development projects being implemented in Hazaribagh, the prime minister said the area was a den of looters and criminals. In the name of projects, they looted public money and killed many Awami League leaders and workers indiscriminately, she added.

Sheikh Hasina also extended her thanks to the people of Hazaribagh for giving their vote to Awami League candidate Sayeed Khokan in the mayoral election last month. The verdict of the people in the mayoral election was a befitting reply to the politics of vandalism, killing and arson, she said, adding that people don't want destruction, they want peace.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is making stride to reorganize all utility bodies and service sectors. As part of this programme, she said fire stations are being constructed in every upazila and district. The government has so far spent Taka 200 crore for development of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) sector, she said.

She said nine modern fire stations would be constructed in the areas where the readymade garment industries are located. Diving Unit would be expanded and ten specialized fire extinguishing and rescue units would be created, she added.

Wireless and telecommunication system for firefighters would be modernized and the FSCD department building and 14 fire stations in Dhaka city would be reconstructed and retrofitted apart from construction of a modern fire service and civil defence training academy, she said.

Pointing out the facilities and privileges given to the FSCD personnel during the tenure of the present government, the Prime Minister said her government despite its resources constraints is making constant efforts to continue the development of the service.

While laying foundation of the mother and child welfare centre after the name of Arju Moni, a victim of carnage of August 15, 1975, the Prime Minister Arju, wife of Jubo League leader Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, could not escape from the cruelty of the killers even being an expectant mother at that time.

Criticizing BNP for closing down the community clinics after coming to power in 2001, the Prime Minister said, "How a political party can behave like a stepmother with the people. No welfare activity was done by BNP. They were fully engrossed in looting, killing and corruption."

Sheikh Hasina said child and mother mortality rate declined remarkably in the country because of the initiatives taken by the Awami League government. Bangladesh's success in mother and child health has been recognized by the world community, she added.

"Protecting the health of mothers and children is the commitment of our government," she said, adding that over the last six years massive development projects were implemented in the health sector to achieve the goal.

The government has ensured food security for all people. Now the government is working for ensuring nutrition security, she said, adding maternal-health voucher scheme and lactating mother allowance were introduced to help the poor mothers. Every child has been brought under the immunization programme while autistic children are also being given healthcare and other facilities, she said.

The Prime Minister said a time-befitting health policy has been framed. Healthcare services and infrastructure of all hospitals at upazila, district and divisional levels were improved. Eight thousand new beds were created in the government hospitals in the last six years, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) has been developed as a centre of excellence while new institutes were established for study and research on ophthalmology, neuromedicine, burn and plastic surgery, heart and kidney diseases and general medicine.