Sheikh Hasina on Saturday alleged that there was an international conspiracy against Bangladesh to stall its pace of development and prevent the Grand Alliance government from coming back to power. “Many at the international level would not want the continuation of development in Bangladesh. They will hatch a conspiracy to halt the development activities done by the Awami League-led government,” the Prime Minister said in her introductory speech at a meeting with her party’s grassroots level leaders at Ganobhaban.
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the Awami League (AL), alleged that the Opposition chief had hatched a conspiracy to kill her in 2004 by hurling grenades at a public meeting at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city.
Hasina, however, iterated that the next general election will be held in time and in line with the country’s Constitution, and the people will decide who will be in power in future.
Defending her government’s move to amend the Constitution, the Prime Minister asked: “How long will the people suffer over the issue of transfer of power?” That is why the Constitution was amended, taking the opinion of all stakeholders, to ensure the people’s fundamental rights and franchise and for continuation of the constitutional process, she added.
Slamming those who have been saying that the AL-led government amended the Constitution within a very short period, the PM said: “We amended the Constitution after spending nearly one year in office and after forming a committee.”
Referring to talks with the Opposition, the PM said: “To resolve the current political impasse, we made an offer to the Opposition to sit across the table for a dialogue, but they issued a 48-hour ultimatum. Actually, they do not want talks; they want to create anarchy in the name of organising a movement.”
Accusing the Opposition of resorting to falsehood that law enforcement agencies had killed several hundred people during the Shapla operations in the city on May 6, the Prime Minister called upon her party leaders and activists to remain alert so that the Opposition is not able to mislead the people.
Sheikh Hasina alleged that the BNP, along with Jamaat and Hefazat activists, had burnt numerous copies of the Holy Quran during their rally in the city on May 6. “How can one protect Islam by burning the Holy Quran,” she asked.
She said Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia had also promised to feed the Hefazat men by slaughtering 200 cows, but had not provided a single fistful of rice.
The Premier alleged that Khaleda had also issued a threat that after May 6, Hasina would not find any place to escape. “But I want to say that the people will decide who will stay in power.”
“Every day she (Khaleda) issues threats to topple me from power. But I want to say that everything depends on Allah,” Hasina said.
She claimed that the Opposition does politics in the name of establishing Islam in the country, but added that only the Awami League serves Islam. The spread and publicity of Islam have taken place in the country during the tenure of the AL-led government, not other governments, she added.
The Premier further alleged that the BNP does not hesitate to sell national interests just to attain state power. In contrast, the Awami League fights to save the country’s resources, she said, in a reference to the victory over assets in the sea.
The main objective of the Awami League is to ensure people’s welfare and when it is voted to power, it ensures food, healthcare, education and other facilities for the people, Hasina told the meeting.
Highlighting the steps taken by her government for ensuring the spread of education, Hasina mentioned the formulation of the national education policy, free distribution of textbooks up to the secondary level, upgrading of madrasas and technical education, stipends to 1.20 crore students, and setting up the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust Fund to help poor and meritorious students at the degree level. She also noted that multimedia classrooms have been set up in over 23,500 schools and computers are being given to students at low prices.
Awami League advisory council member, Suranjit Sengupta, presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Satish Chandra Roy, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Qazi Zafarullah and Nuhul Alam Lenin, joint secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, central member Abul Hasnat Abdullah and others were present at the meeting.
-With The Independent input
