Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday that BNP chief Khaleda Zia would not succeed in her attempt to scuttle execution of war crimes trial verdicts.
“The BNP leader wants to save the killers. She wanted to save the killers of the Father of the Nation, but failed. Many have been hanged and search is on for those hiding abroad.
They would have to face punishment. Similarly, execution of verdicts against war-criminals will be carried out. The BNP leader cannot foil this. Khaleda will not be able to save them,” she said while addressing a massive rally at the Kustia Government College ground.
Whenever the BNP comes to power, the country experiences terrorism, corruption and looting, but when the AL is in power peace prevails and people can roam about freely, she said.
Hasina warned the people that if the BNP was voted to power again, anarchy would return. “They will stop stipends for students, free distribution of textbooks which have been introduced by our government” she said, urging the people to give her party another term to maintain the present pace of development.
Hasina said the BNP and the Jamaat were engaged in propaganda against her party and people should remain alert.
“When the BNP was in power, people were killed in mosques and there was violence in Eid Jamaat, but during our rule no such incident has taken place,” she said.
The Prime Minister sought “doa” and votes to build Bangladesh as a prosperous and developed country free from hunger and poverty. “We want the country to move forward on the world stage by holding its head high,” she said.
The Kushtia district Awami League arranged the rally with its acting president Zulfikar Ali in the chair.
Among others, AL joint secretaries Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif and Dr Dipu Moni and information minister and JSD president Hasanul Haque Inu spoke at the rally.
Recalling the dark days of terrorism and corruption during the five-year rule of the BNP, Sheikh Hasina said the Opposition leader whitened her black money by paying a penalty, while her two sons laundered thousands of crores of taka abroad.
“Killing, looting and corruption are the main traits of the BNP,” she said, adding: “Two sons of Khaleda looted Tk. 980 crore from state-owned banks in the name of ‘Khamba Ltd’ and ‘Dandy Dyeing’.”
Sheikh Hasina said the BNP had given only “khamba” (electric pole) to the people instead of power. But after coming to power, the AL has increased power generation to 9,000 megawatts, she said.
The Prime Minister said people can have two square meals a day and sleep in peace when the Awami League is in power. On the other hand, the country witnesses unrest, militancy and graft whenever the BNP comes to power, she said.
The Pime Minister said if voted to power, her government would set up universities in each greater district.
Earlier, while inaugurating the Bangladesh-India Power Transmission Centre and laying the foundation stone of the Moitree Super Thermal Power Project (Rampal 1,320-MW coal-based power plant) at Bheramara, Sheikh Hasina assured those present that her government won’t do anything which would cause damage to the Sunderbans, a world heritage site. “I think people should have faith in me that the Sunderbans will not be damaged, and Sheikh Hasina won’t do anything that will harm the country,” she said.
Criticising the opponents of the Rampal Power Plant, the Prime Minister said her government has taken the initiative to dredge the Pashur river and Ghasia canal to improve and protect the environment of the Sunderbans.
“I don’t know whether they have any idea about this,” she said.
The Prime Minister said it was during the tenure of the Awami League government that the Sunderbans was declared a World Heritage Site.
Ruling out the claim of some quarters about the effects of the Rampal Power Plant on the Sunderbans, the Prime Minister said the government has approved of the Rampal project assessing all possible impacts on environment and ecology.
“A certain quarter is trying to create confusion among the people about the Rampal thermal power plant. But I want to state that I personally never approved in the past or will approve in future any project that will harm the environment and ecology,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has taken precaution so that the Rampal power project does not have any adverse impact on the Sunderbans. “High quality coal and latest technology will be used to minimise air and water pollution,” she said.
The Prime Minister said her government has already set up a coal-based power plant at Barapukuria in Dinajpur and it did not have any adverse impact on the environment of the area.
She asked whether the people who are raising a hue and cry about the Rampal Power Plant have found any impact on the environment and people living near the Barapukuria Power Plant. “They have not, as the reality is that the plant has not resulted in any adverse impact,” she added.
-With The Independent input
