Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday blamed Tarique Rahman for attempting to kill her through grenade attack on August 21, 2004. Hasina sharply criticised the BNP-led four-party alliance government for making Bangladesh a haven of terrorism, militancy and corruption tarnishing the country’s image abroad. She was addressing a civic gathering at Ashuganj after inaugurating a 53-mw power plant constructed by Ashuganj Power Company Ltd at Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria.
Soon after the country’s independence, she said the Bangabandhu government had started the trial of the war criminals but after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu along with his family members the subsequent military government of General Zia stopped the trial process and released the convicted accused. “In this connection, she said that opposition leader did the same like her husband when she was in power.” The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged thepeople of the country to be extremely economical in using electricity and gas considering the growing demand of the energy resources.
“Your small cutback will facilitate others to have access to the electricity and gas,” she said
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones of five other plants of the same company with a generation capacity of 1,376 megawatt of electricity.
Sheikh Hasina said when her government assumed office in 2009 the total electricity generation was only 3,200 megawatts as the previous BNP Jamaat could not add a single megawatt of electricity. “They even didn’t carry out the maintenance work on the exiting power plants.”
To overcome the huge shortage of power, the present government soon after assuming office started implementing short-, medium- and long-term plans to increase the electricity generation, she said.
As a result of prompt actions of the government, construction works on 55 power plants have been completed with a generation capacity of 3870 megawatts during the last four and a half years, Hasina said adding that the total capacity of electricity generation has risen to 8537 mw.
The premier said the present government for the first time in the country’s history is supplying 6675 megawatts of electricity every day to the consumers, and the production and supply are increasing every month.
Sheikh Hasina said construction work of 34 other power plants with 6951 megawatts of generation capacity is nearing completion and tender bidding 19 power plants with 3974 megawatts of capacity in under process.
“We’ve proved that every step of the government could easily be successful if it is implemented with honesty, sincerity, and patriotism,” the premier pointed out.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that her government has also taken initiatives to produce coal-fired electricity to minimise its cost. “The import of 250 megawatts of power from India will begin soon.”
Hasina also said initiatives have also been taken to produce electricity in a joint venture with India-Bhutan and Nepal so that Bangladesh could import electricity from Nepal and Bhutan.
Besides, she said, an agreement has been signed with Russia to generate 2,000 megawatts of nuclear power.
The Prime Minister said the present government is also encouraging the use of renewable energy and has waved import duty on the equipment of renewable energy in addition to providing soft loan for the purpose.
Hasina mentioned that 30 lakh solar home systems have already been inaugurated and about 100 megawatts of solar power is being produced in remote areas of the country.
She said the government has also installed 9,000 kilometers of transmission and 3 lakh kilometers of distribution lines so far and set up 20 grid substations for electricity transmission.
About 62 percent people of the country have been brought under electricity coverage with 32 lakh new connections during the last four and a half years of the present government, the premier said.
Hasina said her government made the country self-sufficient in food with bumper production every year through ensuring uninterrupted power supply for irrigation.
She said as part of its election pledges her government started the trial of war criminals and a number of verdict have also been announced. “The families of the martyrs along with the countrymen are now happy with the verdict.”
Soon after the country’s independence, she said the Bangabandhu government had started the trial of the war criminals but after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu along with his family members the subsequent military government of General Zia stopped the trial process and released the convicted accused. “In this connection, she said that opposition leader did the same like her husband when she was in power.”
Hasina sharply criticised the BNP-led four-party alliance government for making Bangladesh a haven of terrorism, militancy and corruption tarnishing the country’s image abroad.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now recognized as a digital nation in the international community. IT facilities now have reached up to village level, and Union Information and Service Centres have been set up in over 4500 unions across the country.
She said the aim of the present government is to ensure education and health for all, improved communications network, and reach electricity to every household.
To achieve the goal, the government has made massive development in every sector, she added.
Hasina requested all to cast their votes in favour of the AL-led grand alliance in the next general election for the continuation of development activities.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said her party is preparing for the next general election alongside strengthening democracy in the country.
“We have to take the preparation for the next election alongside continuing the efforts to strengthen democracy. We have to remain careful to ensure the democratic continuation in the country,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said this in her introductory speech at the AL’s advisory council meeting at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Hasina laid emphasis on the democratic process to change the government for the country’s overall development. “We have to change the government through the democratic process. We have to continue the democratic system to continue the development process,” she said.
The premier said her government has amended the Constitution to make the country’s parliamentary democracy sustainable blocking the path of unconstitutional power capture.
“We’ve amended the constitution so that no unconstitutional government like military and quasi-military government can come to power and thus people’s empowerment is ensured,” she said.
In the last four and a half years, Hasina said, the government ensured the voting rights of people as all the elections held during the period were free, fair and neutral. “We don’t have the desire to capture polling stations.”
Hasina said her party wants to start the democratic process in changing the government for the continuation of development works in the country.
About the trial of war criminals, she said when the trial of the war criminals started BNP had tried to foil it. “BNP is always linked with Jamaat as the politics of Jamaat started through BNP. They’re in many ways trying to save the war criminals as Jamaat leaders were involved with war crimes.”
She mentioned that the ICTs are conducting the trial of the war criminals with a great courage, and delivering verdicts one after another.
“This has revived the spirit of the Liberation War in the country. BNP had tried hard to erase the ethos and history of the Liberation War. It was one of their aims. We’re now getting the verdicts and that’s important. And these verdicts will be executed,” Hasina said.
-With The Independent input
