Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday alleged that opposition leader Khaleda Zia wanted to build a “Hasina-free Bangladesh” to save war criminals.
“If I am not in state power, she [Khaleda] will release the war criminals and make them ministers and will provide them with the national flag. Thus she dislikes me and does not want to see me in power,” Hasina said.
The ruling Awami League president was addressing a views-exchange meeting with her party’s grassroots level leaders from Narail, Joypurhat, Madaripur, Brahmanbaria, Meherpur and Jhalakathi at her official residence Ganabhaban.
The grassroots leaders conveyed their opinions to the PM about party nomination for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The AL chief has been holding such meetings since September 4 and will continue until October 12.
In her address, Hasina vowed to conclude the trial of war criminals. “As long as I am alive, I will move on the ethical path and fulfil my pledges.”
Regarding Khaleda’s statement that snakes could be trusted but not the Awami League, Hasina said: “Khaleda Zia lives with snakes. As she has relations with anti-liberation forces such as Jamaat-e-Islami, [Islami Chhatra] Shibir and Hefazat-e-Islam, she likes snakes, not the Awami League.”
Terming the next election “very important,” she urged people to cast votes in favour of the Awami League to help continue the ongoing development activities, execute the verdicts against war criminals and make Bangladesh free from poverty and hunger by 2021.
Hasina asked leaders and activists of her party to remain united and persuade people in favour of the Awami League.
Responding to Khaleda’s allegation that free and fair election was not possible under the Awami League, the prime minister said: “Khaleda is making such remarks while sitting beside the newly elected city mayors. How did her candidates achieve victory if there had not been any credible polls?
“Resorting to falsehood is her character.”
Hasina recalled the misrule of the previous BNP-Jamaat coalition government, saying Bangladesh had come to be known as a country of militancy, terrorism and corruption at that time.
“When Khaleda Zia was the prime minister, she whitened her black money and her sons smuggled money out of the country,” the prime minister said, adding that her government had recovered the smuggled money.
Awami League leaders Abdul Latif Siddique, Satish Chandra, Faridunnahar Laily, Mrinal Kanti Das, among others, were present at the meeting.
