Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said BNP-Jamaat alliance might have had a plot to kill people during the city corporation elections as they did during their 92-day blockade and hartals.
She came up with the observations while exchanging greetings with Buddhist religious leaders and distinguished persons of the community on the occasion of the Buddha Purnima at her official residence Ganabhaban. The programme was arranged by Buddhists Religious Welfare Trust.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said the BNP-Jamaat alliance could not materialise its evil design as the law-enforcement agencies were active and on sharp vigil alongside the mass people.
“Killing people is their (BNP-Jamaat) movement…all of a sudden they boycott the city corporation elections, they might have had some evil intentions, but could not materialise that as the mass people and law enforcement agencies were on sharp vigil,” she said.
The Awami League chief also alleged that the BNP might have planned to withdraw from the city corporation elections after killing some more people. “But they didn’t get the chance. There was a tremendous vigilance both by the mass people and law-enforcement agencies,” she said.
Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat alliance did the same thing during the city polls what they did in their anti-government movement.
She mentioned that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had announced to participate in the elections, but they were not there in the field. “There was no their representative nor any agent. All of a sudden they boycotted the elections after a couple of hours of the beginning of the elections.”
The prime minister went on saying: “Such hatred and vengeance never bring welfare for people. We’re taking stern actions so that such killings and burning people never happen in the country again.”
Hasina said that BNP-Jamaat alliance never tolerates the welfare of people. “That’s why they kill people through arson attacks…what and how much perversion can make one to go for such killing people and playing with people’s fate in their movement.”
Religious Affairs Minister Principal Motiur Rahman, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, President of the CHT Buddha Bhikkhu Sangha Srimat Proggyananda Mahathero and Chairman of Bangladesh Buddha Krishti Prachar Sangha Srimat Shuddhananda Mahathero spoke on the occasion.
Vice Chairman of the Buddhists Religious Welfare Trust Sajal Kumar Talukdar delivered the welcome address.
Referring to arson attacks and vandalism carried out by BNP-Jamaat for long three months from January 5, the prime minister said they killed innocent bus drivers and helpers, students, working men and common citizens hurling petrol bombs. “Even, women and children were not spared.”
Hasina said the moment Bangladesh was getting recognised across the world as a development role model, BNP-Jamaat nexus launched the politics of destruction and burning people to death. Strong legal actions will be taken against those involved in such brutal killings and destructive acts,” she warned.
BNP-Jamaat activists also carried out destructive activities in Ramu of Cox’s Bazar and many religious establishments of the Buddhist Community were damaged by their attacks in 2012, she said.
Hasina also mentioned the killing of people during prayers inside mosques, demolishing temples and pagodas and torture on women by the BNP-Jamaat activities after the 2001 general election.
Greeting the Buddhist community on the eve of Buddha Purnima, the prime minister said her government has made equal rights of all religion clearer in the constitution through amending it during its 2009-2013 tenure.