Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government had no problem with the agitation programmes of the opposition as it is their democratic right.
“You can go for your agitation programme, we have no objection. It is your democratic right. But you have to stop the killing of innocent people and hindering the academic life of the students,” she said.
The prime minister made the observations after receiving the results of Primary School Certificate (PSC) and Ebtedayee terminal examinations-2013 from Primary and Mass Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid at her official residence Ganabhaban.
She said the agitation programme of the opposition is against the government, but it is very unfortunate that they “opted for subversive activities against the general people of the country.”
Hasina alleged that the opposition had been killing people and setting fire to properties and they hired hooligans for doing such destructive activities.
“The opposition is now conducting their agitation programme with the help of the hired hooligans. This is no movement at all; people have no confidence in this agitation programme.”
Talking about the opposition sponsored hartals and blockades, the prime minister said she had repeatedly requested the opposition leader to withdraw the programmes at least during the exam dates.
“I requested her not to enforce hartals and blockades on the exam dates. But she had denied my request and said she will impose hartals.”
Mentioning that the opposition had enforced hartal on November 4, the first date of the JSC examination, Hasina said: “We also went for agitation programmes [in the past]. But is killing people an agitation programme?”
She said: “The opposition is now engaged in killing people in the name of agitation.”
Hasina thanked the students, guardians, teachers and others concerned for completing the exams defying all odds and preparing the results within the stipulated timeframe.
Describing her government’s efforts for the development of the educational standard of the country, the prime minister said the main aim of her government was to put the education system of the country on a strong base.
In this connection, Hasina mentioned the distribution of free textbooks, introduction of school feeding programme and formation of education trust fund.
She requested the guardians and teachers not to put unnecessary pressure on the students. “You [teachers and guardians] have to make them understand that they have to study regularly for their own interest. This will bring them good results in the future.”
