Make sure that BNP, Jamaat couldn’t come to power again, PM Hasina to people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called the de facto opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh vote thieves, saying the Bangladesh people will vote for Awami League (AL) in the next elections. The prime minister was accorded a civic reception by expatriate Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom (UK).
“They (BNP and Jamaat) will destroy Bangladesh. So, make sure that BNP and Jamaat clique couldn’t come to power again,” she told the function held at London Marriott Hotel here on Sunday (local time).
The prime minister also called upon the people not to cast vote for BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami as “they are out to destroy the country”.
She said her party will win the next general polls as it is always beside the people in their needs.
“Insha Allah, the people will give us scope to serve them. All (AL leaders and activists) will have to work confidently as we can win the vote,” the prime minister said.
She also expressed her hope that the people of the country will not keep trust in the BNP and Jamaat.
Sheikh Hasina said: “They (BNP) laundered the country’s money abroad and such destroyed the country. So, how the people will have confidence in them?”
She also said the people have already known that “they (BNP and Jamaat) are thieves, corrupts, killers, grenade attackers, looters and patrons of killers”.
The prime minister said that BNP and Jamaat nexus siphoned off money and put the country on the verge of the destruction.
PM Hasina further said that “Tarique Rahman has been sentenced for his corruption and the government has been able to bring back some 400 million taka that was siphoned off by Khaleda Zia’s younger son Coco”.
The prime minister reiterated her vow that the country will be a Smart Bangladesh by 2041, saying, “We have formulated Delta-2100 plan. We have to take the country forward.”
She said that there will also be no homeless, landless people in the country.
“Awami League works for the welfare of the people. No person in Bangladesh will remain without food,” she added.
The prime minister again dubbed the BNP and its leaders as vote thieves, saying, “Tarique Zia is a vote thief and his mother is also a vote thief.”
She said that Awami League did not come to the power through vote rigging like BNP and Jamaat.
“Awami League always fights for the rights of the people. It comes to power after being elected by people. It never grabbed or stole power,” she said.
The prime minister asked the BNP leaders that how many parties did participate in the 15 February, 1996 election and how many votes were cast?
Sheikh Hasina, also AL president, said that the people of the country are aware enough about their right to vote.
“We have made the people aware of it,” she said.
The prime minister said no one has anything to say about the 2008 election.
“What was the result of that election? How many seats did BNP’s 20-party alliance got? The 20-party coalition won 29 seats in that election and another one in a by-election, totalling 30 seats. And the remaining seat was of the Awami League led alliance. We got all. What is their (BNP and Jamaat’s) position to the people that they make so much noise?” she said.
The prime minister also briefly enunciated her government’s various development programmes in the last 14 years.