BNP-Jamaat joining hands with Israel to overthrow present government: HPM Sheikh Hasina

"BNP-Jamaat has become so desperate that they are now conspiring with Israel to oust me . . . they have joined hands with those who are frequently killing children and women in Palestine," she told discussion organised by Awami League's UK Chapter on the occasion of her Homecoming Day.

The discussion was arranged at St James Court-Taj Hotel here on Tuesday evening with UK Chapter AL President Sultan Mahmud Sharif in the chair. it was also addressed by General Secretary of the unit Sajedur Rahman Khan.

All European AL President Anil Das Gupta and former president of UK Chapter AL Shamsuddin Khan were present on the dais.

Her comments came as police arrested BNP joint secretary general Aslam Chowdhury for holding meetings with Israeli politicians and intelligence officials.

Calling upon the people to keep a close eye on the conspirators, the Premier said the BNP-Jamaat are hatching plots against the country, even against Islam.

"These plotters and killers are conspiring against the country, even against Islam...they don't want Bangladesh and they don't understand anything except their own interest," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat nexus killed numerous people and committed unbridled corruption and plundering when they were in power. "Little change in their character is yet to be seen," she said.

Drawing reference to the killing and rampage harboured by the BNP-Jamaat nexus to foil the January 5 elections and during the first three months of last year, the Prime Minister said they wanted to go to power by keeping their feet on the burnt people.

She said the BNP chairperson had declared that she won't return home until the toppling of the government and her movement was killing the people.

"The common people, even women, children, college and university students were not spared from the BNP-Jamaat vengeance...what they were cruel and the Begum Khaleda Zia is yet to seek apologise to the countrymen for her crime," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the common people had resisted this heinous crimes of the BNP-Jamaat nexus and they handed over the BNP-Jamaat terrorists to the police.

The premier said the BNP-Jamaat clique only stopped their crime when they faced the wrath of the people and the BNP leader had to return home by squeezing tail after being defeated in the movement. "Injustice and sin don't spare anybody," she said.

Pointing out the recent secret killings in the country, the Prime Minister said the BNP-Jamaat evil forces killed people on broad daylight in 2013 and 2014 and during the first three months of 2015 across the country.

She said since their actions appeared clear to the people at home and in the international arena the nexus now launched clandestine killings.

Sheikh Hasina said are murdering imams of mosques, priests of temples and fathers of churches and university teachers selectively.

"They recently killed a USAID Staff Xulhaz Mannan who was a cousin of our former foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni and they did it to create stirring," she said, adding the BNP-Jamaat doesn't understand anything except killing.

While talking about the trial of war criminals the Prime Minister said it exposed the the defeated forces to a state of discomfort and verdicts are being executed one after another.

The Prime Minister said those who unleashed atrocities and carried out genocide during the War of Liberation were convicted as war criminals and judgements of the trial are being executed.

She said those who handed over our blood-stained national flags to war criminals and the defeated forces would be tried. "They are equally guilty and how they can tall talk," she said.

In this connection, the Premier said the countrymen who believe in independence should hate those who handed over the national flag to the defeated forces. "This should happen in such a way that the defeated forces could realise these hatred," she said.

On this day in 1981, Sheikh Hasina returned home after six years in exile following the brutal assassination of the architect of independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15 in 1975.

Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana escaped the carnage as they were in Germany at that time.

The Prime Minister said after the assassination of Bangabandhu, four national leaders were brutally killed and numerous leaders and workers of the party were thrown into jail to eliminate Awami League forever.

Recalling her Homecoming Day on May 17 in 1981, Sheikh Hasina said she returned home on a rainy and stormy day when thousands of people braving the inclement weather assembled at the airport to welcome her.

"When I returned home I didn't have any asset except the courage and inspiration of the Awami League leaders and workers," she said.

"When I returned home, there was a flood of millions of people and there was love for me. But my most beloved persons whose love I expected most were not there," she said referring to the killing of Bangabandhu and others who were assassinated on the fateful night of August 15.

While remembering her tragic and terrible days, the Prime Minister became emotional.

She recalled with deep gratitude the expatriate Bangladeshis, leaders and workers of Awami League and pro-liberation forces, intellectuals and the common people of the country for extending great support during bad times of the party and her family.

"It was the courage and love, affection of those for which we advanced so much today," she said.

Referring to ill-efforts of the military dictators after 1975 to erase and distort the history of liberation war, the Prime Minister said the anti-liberation forces destroyed ideals and spirit of the War of Liberation.

Spelling out her government's stunning success in various fields, the Premier said Bangladesh has become a role model of development on the world stage. "None could undermine Bangladesh anymore," she said.