Issuing a strong note of warning against the opposition leader, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked Khaleda Zia to stop post-polls violence and oppression on the minorities and the people who cast their votes on Sunday by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir men, otherwise she would face the music, reports UNB. “You didn’t take part in the election, that’s fine. But, you have to stop the oppression and torture on the minorities and the general voters, or else, we’ll have to take necessary actions, stern actions,” the Awami League chief said.
Hasina was making her introductory remarks at a meeting of the 14-party combine at her official residence Ganobhaban in the evening, two days after the 10th parliamentary elections.
She said the joint forces have started their drives on Monday to hunt down the miscreants who are behind the heinous acts on the minorities in different parts of the country. “The drives will continue and the perpetrators to be brought to justice,” she added.
The Awami League chief renewed her dialogue offer to her opponent saying, “The door is open for discussion, we’ll see how to move ahead through discussions. But, for this you’ll (Khaleda) have to part your company with Jamaat.”
Sheikh Hasina said Awami League never did the politics of vendetta, but the BNP-Jamaat nexus always believes in such negative politics. “After the 2001 election, the BNP-Jamaat terrorists had unleashed their reign of terror in the country.”
The AL chief said the old character of the BNP-Jamaat alliance did not change in the course of time. “They tried to stop the election, but failed. Now they’ve started committing various evil activities,” she said.
Terming the opposition leader’s decision not to join the 10th general election a wrong one in her politics, Hasina said why the people of the country should pay for her wrong decision.
“She (Khaleda) had thought that the people of the whole country would join the opposition call, but that didn’t happen. Why will people express their solidarity with her (Khaleda) wrong decision?” Hasina questioned.
She also asked the opposition leader to remain silent as she has failed to stop the election. “You (Khaleda) should remain silent now as you’ve failed to stop the election. Don’t cause sufferings to people. You cannot stop anything now as you’ve failed to stop the election,” she said.
Citing the Election Commission’s data about the participation of e voters in Sunday’s election, Hasina she said 40 percent people exercise their franchise which is very rare in the developed countries across the world. “People cast their votes defying so many odds, what do you (Khaleda) want to do now,” she asked the opposition leader.
The AL president also said she hoped that good sense would prevail upon the opposition leader and stop causing sufferings to people.
Referring to the election boycott by the opposition party, Hasina said BNP has tried to create a constitutional vacuum in the country. “That was their intention, but people foiled their evil design,” she said adding that now it is the prime duty of the government to save the lives and property of people.
Courtesy of UNB/The Independent
