Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday questioned how BNP leader Tarique Rahman can lead the party as he does not dare to return home.
“If a political leader has no courage to return home, how can he lead?” she wondered addressing a discussion, marking the 73rd founding anniversary of Bangladesh Awami League.
Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Awami League, presided over the discussion held at her party’s central office in the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue through a videoconference from Ganabhaban.
She said it is not correct to say that Tarique Zia is not allowed to return home. “None ousted him. He willingly went abroad and then didn’t return,” she said.
File photo of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman CollectedTarique went abroad during the caretaker government in September 2008 giving a written bond that he would not do politics anymore, she said, asking the BNP leaders how they could forget it.In this context, Hasina said she was obstructed to return home during the then caretaker government, but she came back home on May 7, 2007, defying the ban on her travel, taking it as a challenge.
Noting that she was sued in a murder case and an arrest warrant was issued against her, the prime minister mentioned that she had still announced she would return home and appear before the court to face the case.
The premier again raised the question how the election can be participatory one when its rival BNP is facing the crisis of right leadership.
“How the election can be participatory one when a party had created from a pocket of a person who illegally grabbed the power and now its leaders are convicted of corruption, murder and arms-haul charges,” she said.
Tariq, she said, is a fugitive too.
Referring to the 2018 national election, the prime minister said BNP leaders changed their candidate in a constituency on several occasions due to nomination business.
She said Enam Ahmed Chowdhury and Morshed Khan told her that Tarique Zia sought money in exchange for giving them the party’s nomination, but they refused.
Sheikh Hasina further questioned how the party can attract the voters when they start election business and how people can vote for a party when it is leaderless.
Criticizing the BNP acting chairman she said Tarique Rahman has proved that his parents Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia were involved in the 1975 August carnage conspiracy by supporting the slogan of “pachatt orer hatiar” or the killers.
Lambasting Ziaur Rahman for rewarding the 15th August killers with lucrative jobs in Bangladesh foreign missions, she said he got killed and even none found his body.
“Yes, Ershad had brought a box (to Dhaka). But what was in the box? Later, Ershad himself said Zia’s body had not been there in that box. But the box was buried in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Chandrima Udyan),” she said, adding that even Khaleda Zia and her son cannot say that they had seen his body.
She said BNP leaders now place floral wreaths there. But Khaleda’s spouse or the BNP leader is not there. “The truth will be revealed one day,” she said.
Taking a swipe at the BNP leaders who criticize the government over the Padma Bridge issue, Sheikh Hasina said the World Bank stopped its funding from Siddirganj power plant and Dhaka-Mymensingh Road during the regime of Khaleda on graft charges.
She questioned how BNP can raise questions over the Padma Bridge issue when its leaders — from head to toe — are engulfed in corruption. “BNP in fact is a factory of making lies,” she added.
About the criticism of BNP leaders over the flood issue, the prime minister said they failed to stand beside the flood-hit people and could not provide a fistful of food to them. But they are shedding crocodile tears staying in Dhaka.
The Awami League president said her party leaders have been working hard to extend support to the flood victims even in the very risky places.
Noting that construction of Padma Bridge is a big achievement for the nation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blasted the BNP leaders for their demand to stop the grand opening celebration of the bridge on the plea of flood.
About Bangabandhu Bridge, she said a survey was made over the Jamuna River by Japan on a request of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, but Ziaur Rahman stopped it.
HM Ershad again took initiative for the construction of the bridge. And he worked on it, but it did not progress much during Khaleda’s regime, she added.
Later, the Awami League government constructed the bridge after making it a multipurpose one through incorporation of rail, electricity and gas lines defying the World Bank’s objections over the inclusion of rail line, she said.
She said Awami League has been working to change the fate of the people since its founding in 1949.
“Whatever the people of this country attained all these came through the Awami League. Whenever the Awami League came to power, the fate of the people changed,” said Sheikh Hasina.
Awami League presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya Bir Bikram, Joint Secretary General Mahbubul Alam Hanif and International Affairs Secretary Dr Shammi Ahmed, among others, spoke on the occasion.
