Criticising the opposition leader for her attempt to play a game over the next general election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday warned that Khaleda Zia would not be allowed to do that anymore.
“The Election Commission is working independently and the next general elections will be held in a free, fair and neutral manner. But, the opposition leader wants to play a game with that election …she won’t be allowed to play that game. No one will be allowed to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the country’s people,” she said, reports UNB.
The prime minister was addressing a mammoth pubic rally at Taltoli High School Ground in the afternoon, organised by local Awami League.
Shipping Minister M Shahjahan Khan, ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub ul Alam Hanif, AL leader Abul Hasnat Abdullah, local MP Dhirendu Debnath Shombhu, among others, addressed the rally held with upazila Awami League president Fozlul Haque Jamadar.
Continuing her scathing attack on the opposition leader, Hasina said, “Is there any misdeed that she (Khaleda) hasn’t committed? Burning people, vehicles, setting fire to copies of holy Quran and mosques…I’ m complaining to almighty Allah for these misdeeds of her.”
Claiming that all the elections at different tiers held under the present government were free, fair and neutral, Hasina said some 64,023 representatives were elected from those polls and no one could raise any allegation against any of these elections.
In this regard, she criticised Khaleda Zia for her allegation of vote rigging in the recent city corporation polls although the BNP-backed candidates had won those polls. “Did the opposition leader make her candidates winners through adopting ‘number 2 formula’ as that’s her character?”
Referring to her 37-minute telephone conversation with the opposition leader on October 26, the Awami League chief said her arch rival did not call off the hartal despite her request.
“She (Khaleda) killed 20 people and what were the faults of those people as well as their kith and kin. The injured people suffering from burn injuries are now passing their days in pain, But the BNP leaders did not go to the hospital to see them,” Hasina said adding that the trial for the killing of these people during the shutdowns would be held in the country one day.
The premier mentioned that her cabinet members went to hospital to enquire about the conditions and necessary arrangements have been made for their treatment. “Will she (Khaleda) keep trying to oust the government through exploding some bombs and burning some people to death?” she questioned.
About the 48-hour ultimatum issued by the opposition leader on May 4 to oust the government which was immediately followed by the Hefajat-e-Islam’s Dhaka siege programme on May 5, she said, “Sheikh Hasina never fled any scene, but faced all kinds of situations.”