Arsonists have no right to do politics in Bangladesh: PM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today said those involved in arson violence and uprooting rail line fish plates are the accomplices of the defeated forces of 1971, reiterating the pledge that the country would never be handed over to them.

"Those carrying out arson violence and uprooting rail line fish plate are the accomplices and collaborators of the defeated forces (1971). We will never hand over the country to the defeated forces," she said.

She made the remarks while presiding over a discussion marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day organised by the AL at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here.

The Prime Minister urged the countrymen to remain alert about conspiracies being hatched by the defeated forces at home and abroad and build collective resistance against any sort of violence as they are out to thwart the upcoming general election.

She asked the people to say 'no' to them, saying, "They have no right to do politics in Bangladesh."

The premier came down heavily on Tarique for giving orders to kill people by launching arson terrorism and uprooting fish plates of the rail line staying abroad though he left the country in 2007 by giving a bond of not doing politics.

Referring to the cutting of a rail line track at Shreepur in Gazipur by the BNP terrorists in the name of enforcing hartal and blockade to dislodge the government what they said to establish democracy, she said one person was killed in the mishap while the death toll could be much higher.

"How they can establish democracy by killing people. The killers never can give democracy," she added.

AL Presidium Members, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, central executive body member Advocate Tarana Halim, Dhaka North and South City AL President and Vice President respectively Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and Nurul Alam Ruhul, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Martyred Faizur Rahman Ahmed's son and noted educationist Prof Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and martyred intellectual Dr Alim Choudhury's daughter Prof. Dr. Nuzhat Choudhury addressed the function while General Secretary of the Sammilita Sangskritik Jote Ahkam Ullah read out a brief part from the book "Sheikh Mujib Amar Pita" written by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, MP, and his Deputy Syed Abdul Awal Shamim, moderated the discussion.

Sheikh Hasina said Father of Tarique Zia, military dictator Ziaur Rahman came to power over the bodies of military personnel and freedom fighters, while her mother, Khaleda Zia brought the war criminals and killers of the Father of the Nation to the parliament.

Tarique has been giving orders and making plans to set fire to vehicles and burn people to death staying abroad, she said.

The Prime Minister said, "The people of Bangladesh understand better what type of democracy will be given by them (BNP). So, they (countrymen) don't respond to their movement."

Heavily criticizing the left-leaning parties for supporting the killers, she said, "Our left idealists now join hands with the killers, diverting from their ideals. The killers have Jamaat on one side and the leftists on the other side."

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat alliance had deviated Bangladesh from the spirit of the Liberation War, distorting its real history and making it a country of killers, terrorists, militancy and corruption.

"So, there are no places for killers, terrorists, militancy and corrupt people in the country," she said.

Mentioning that the people of the country have got their democratic and voting rights due to the long struggle of the Awami League, she said, "They (countrymen) will exercise their voting rights freely. They will live in peace and get a developed life which is our target."

The Prime Minister said Ziaur Rahman had introduced the culture of election manipulation by holding yes/no votes and presidential elections, violating the country's constitution and military law and his wife Khaleda Zia assumed power following her husband's path on February 15, 1996, farcical election.

"But, the people of Bangladesh dislodged Khaleda Zia twice from power for election manipulation," she said.

After assuming office for three consecutive terms since 2009, the Prime Minister said her government has changed the country completely and transformed it into a developing nation following the ideal of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the spirit of the Liberation War.

She said Bangladesh is now considered a role model for development on the global stage.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is now on the way to becoming a poverty and hunger-free country as envisioned by the Father of the Nation.

She expressed her gratitude to all the martyrs, including the martyred intellectuals, for shedding blood for the independence of the country.

"It is our commitment to all the martyrs that the Bengali nation will move around the world keeping their heads high, being a victorious nation as we defeated the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War," she said.