Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said a group of political parties joined hands with the BNP-Jamaat alliance to try to unseat her government and return the country to an era of darkness.
“Mr Manna, Dr Kamal Hossain, Communist Party, left-leaning parties are now tagged with the BNP-Jamaat alliance for forging movement to oust the Awami League government,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the ruling party Awami League, was speaking at the opening of a weeklong program marking the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh Krishak League, an associate body of the party.
The program was held at Krishibid Institution while the prime minister joined it virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.
“What is their motive to oust the government?”, she asked. “(It is just) to deprive the people of all the facilities that are being given by the government,” she said.
The premier said that there are some political leaders in the country who never remain beside the people during any crisis, but are busy talking about the movement for ousting the Awami League government.
“What is the fault of Awami League government? Why do they want to oust it?” she wondered.
Sheikh Hasina said people voted Awami League to power in 2008 national polls in support of the party’s election manifesto.
“In that manifesto, we had declared Vision 2021. I am expressing my gratitude towards the people of the country for electing us repeatedly,” she said.
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She also said that the government has attained the targets declared in the party’s election manifestoes.
“We have promoted our country from the least developed country to developing country while we were celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence,” she said.
Referring to her critics she again wondered why they dislike the country’s graduation to a developing country. “Is it the reason why they want to oust this government?,” she said adding: “My question to them is, what’s our crime?”
She said that the government has taken steps to change the fate of all people of the country including those at the grassroots.
Mass people living at the grassroots level and rural areas are getting benefits from the government’s development programs, she added.
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The PM said that the government has given importance to the research on agriculture so that the country gets more positive results in food production along with other related issues.
She also mentioned that the government has taken numerous development programs for the welfare of the mass people of the country.
Briefly describing various steps taken for the welfare of agriculture and farmers, she said the government is determined to achieve the goals.
“We have forged a system so that farmers get the fair price of their produced items,” she said.
Bangladesh Krishak League President Samir Chandra and former presidents of Krishak League Dr Mirza Abdul Jalil and Motahar Hossain Molla, former Krishak League general secretaries Mizanur Rahman and Harun-or-Rashid Hawlader and current secretary Umme Kulsum also spoke at the program.
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A video documentary on Krishak League was screened at the program.
The prime minister also unveiled “Krishak Kantha”, a publication of Krishak League.
Sheikh Hasina said the country is now self-sufficient in food production, per capita income has increased, cent percent electricity coverage has been ensured and homeless people are getting houses and land.
She also highlighted that people can earn their own livelihoods after getting a house and land and thus become self-reliant.
She said her government has established digital Bangladesh and constructed the much cherished Padma Bridge with its own financing which has changed the image of Bangladesh abroad.
Hasina said that country's first satellite, Bangabandhu-I, has been sent to orbit and broadband connectivity has been made available in the villages, helping the youths doing foreign jobs staying in villages and attain economic solvency.
Regarding the completion of the Payra 1300-MW power plant eight months ahead of schedule and saving of Tk900 crore, the PM said the critics don’t praise it as they feel sad to applaud the success.
“Rather they raise questions about the necessity of such a big project? It is required to provide 100 percent electricity," she said.
The prime minister said 100 special economic zones are being set up across the country where both local and foreign investment is coming.
"We are doing it considering processing the products being produced in different parts of the country," she added.
She said the government has been constructing roads, bridges and culverts in every nook and corner of the country easing the movement of people.
She added they are doing all required for the start-ups so they can become entrepreneurs.
The prime minister said that the government has set up community clinics where 30 types of medicines are given free of cost while other modern and specialized treatments are being made accessible at upazila and district levels.
She also mentioned that the government has been providing social safety net allowance and disability allowance to bring solvency to poor families.
Hasina said that when the BNP-Jamaat clique was in power they looted people's money, killed people and Awami League leaders and activists as well as tortured innocent women like Purnima, Mahima and many more.
She said that people did not forget the atrocities and brutalities they had committed in 2013 and 2015.
Hasina said Bangladesh, moving ahead, is now a role model of development.
