PM Hasina instructs AL men to ensure people's voting right

Prime minister and Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina has asked the leaders and activists of her party to be united and stay alert to ensure the environment of exercising people's voting right in the upcoming election, as BNP-Jamaat is there to foil the election.

"Every leader and worker of AL has to be united, and the people's right to vote, which we have earned through struggles, have to be ensured. In order for that right to be guaranteed, the environment must be maintained so that people can cast their votes peacefully," she said.

The prime minister issued this directive while delivering her address as the chair at a commemorative discussion meeting organized by the AL marking the Jail Killing Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here in the capital on Friday.

Mentioning that their (BNP-Jamaat) conspiracy is to thwart the election, she said "many hands are behind there to foil the election and they will try in many ways."

"But, our strength is the people, the people of Bangladesh," she added.

Sheikh Hasina firmly said that Bangladesh will move ahead with the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the four national leaders, adding that "the few miscreants can't be successful to foil the election."

"None would be allowed to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of the country," she said.

AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Presidium members valiant freedom fighter Shajahan Khan, valiant freedom fighter Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, and Simin Hossain Rimi, organizing secretary Mirza Azam, central working committee member Dr. Mushfik Hossain Chowdhury, Syeda Zakia Nur Lipi, Dhaka South City President Abu Ahmed Mannafi, and Dhaka North City President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, also spoke.

AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and his deputy Syed Abdul Awal Shameem moderated the discussion.

At the outset, one minute of silence was observed to pay tribute to the national leaders brutally killed on this day.

On 3 November, 1975, four national leaders and heroes of the country's Liberation War -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali, and AHM Quamruzzaman-- were assassinated inside the Dhaka Central Jail.

The four leaders played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government in exile, which led the Liberation War in 1971, with Syed Nazrul Islam as the acting president, Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime minister, Mansur Ali as the finance minister, and AHM Qamruzzaman as the home, relief, and rehabilitation minister.

The Prime Minister expressed her skepticism about whether BNP will participate in the upcoming national election as they have doubts about getting a seat after winning the election.

She said, "If they (BNP) come to the election, actually they will participate in it only for nomination business."

In this case, the AL chief told her party leaders and activists that "Nomination, we will give it. Because, I don't sit idle as I will assess (the nomination seekers) every six months."

She directed her party men to remove the thinking from their head that "now they (BNP) are not there, we will win, or what will happen if we don't get a seat? We will get the rest of the seats and form the government."

"This thought will bring disaster," she said, adding, "So, the decision that will be given (by us) has to be abided by."

Sheikh Hasina also urged her party leaders and activists to create resistance against the arsonists in every area in an organized manner, taking the people on their side.

"Now, you will have to build resistance against these arsonists in every area, not only in Dhaka city," she said.

In addition, the prime minister asked her party men to give the protection of the public lives and property by finding out and handing over the culprits behind arson violence (to the law enforcers).

"If they (BNP-Jamaat) commit such arson violence in a place, you will have to find out how many BNP or Jamaat men (who are behind it) there and hand them over (to the law enforcers)," she said.

She said it is the responsibility of her party to ensure the protection of public lives and property so that these can't be damaged.

"We've nothing. We've no mentor (Murobbi). We've the people of Bangladesh. We will have to move taking them with us," she added.

Sheikh Hasina asked all her party men to be organized in such a manner so that not a single culprit behind arson violence can be spared. "If anyone is caught red-handed while setting fire (to anything), then you will have to throw him into the same fire. The hand that sets fire to anything will have to be burnt. . .tit for tat. If so, they would learn lessons," she said.

A minute's silence was observed at the beginning of the program to show respect to all martyrs from the Language Movement, the Liberation War, the 15 August, 1975 carnage, the 3 November, 1975 Jail Killing, the 21 August grenade attack, and other pro-democratic movements.

The prime minister said Bangladesh has developed a lot till now as it has been recognized as a role model of development by the world. When the purchasing power of the people of the country has increased, and the time comes for a little relief in people's lives, then they (BNP) feel discomfort, she added.

"If people stay good, they feel angry. BNP-Jamaat feels agony," the prime minister said.

She continued, "They play ducks and drakes with people's lives. That's why this burning, arson terrorism."

She went on saying, "Women and children are not spared from their hands, police are not spared, hospitals are not spared. Ambulance with patients has also come under their attack."

Sheikh Hasina said that a Jubodal leader wearing attire with writing “press” set fire to vehicles, she added that they are trying to fool people. "We have to protest against their terror activities taking people from all walks of life together because we believe in the power of the people."

The AL chief raised the question that, "The party who kills people setting fire, what politics do they do? Their politics is for whom? Their politics is for whose interest?"

The prime minister said that they thought they would reverse Bangladesh again through the recurrence of incidents like 15 August and 3 November. "Today, they couldn't do that. Today, Bangladesh has moved forward with the spirit of liberation war. That is what they want to destroy," she added.