No mercy if 2013-14 like arson terrorism happens before polls: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that no tolerance would be shown in case of incidents like those of 2013-14 arson terrorism and inhuman atrocities prior to the next national election in the name of movement.

"They [BNP] will not be spared if arson terrorism or likewise incidents or attacks on commoners take place before the election in the name of movement," she told a community reception hosted in her honour at the Methodist Central Hall Westminster.

The premier reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat alliance carried out mayhem across the country by burning people to death, destroying public and private properties by hurling petrol bombs in multi-modal vehicles that included passenger buses, trains and launches during 2013-14 in the name of so-called movement.

Democracy must continue in Bangladesh at any cost: PM

Many people including women suffered critical burn injuries in the arson attacks and they have been leading inhuman lives with their injuries, she said.

"We have no objection with your movement. But your movement is killing people by arson terrorism and destroying the country's properties. You had earlier killed 29 police personnel. If any such attempt is made on the lives of my distressed people, no mercy will be shown," she said.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap were present on the dais.

UK AL President Sultan Sharif presided over the function while General Secretary Syed Sajedur Rahman Faruk moderated it.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, said it doesn't suit the BNP to speak about democracy as they had played ducks and drakes with the voting rights of the people.

BNP held a farcical election on 15 February 1996 and the people of the country ousted them from power within one and half months after it assumed power through the election.

"The people of the country never allow the vote riggers to hang on power," she said.

The premier reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had prepared a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters and attempted to hold an election with the list.

On the contrary, the leaders and activists of the Awami League had struggled for long to establish the voting rights of the people and the democracy, she said, adding that many of them sacrificed their lives in doing so.

The prime minister reiterated her pledge to hold a free and fair election, saying that her government has made all the reforms that included enacting laws for forming the election commission (EC) alongside making it financially independent.

She said they have introduced the transparent ballot boxes and prepared a voter list with photographs to hold a free and fair election.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP is now holding a movement for sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment.

She said she allowed Khaleda Zia to stay home after suspending her jail term in a corruption case for embezzling money of orphans with the executive power vested upon her as the head of the government.

The prime minister said she had nothing to do in the case of sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment and added that she did what she could as per the law.

Many people are now arguing, "I can show more sympathy to Khaleda Zia despite the fact that the law will take its own course."

Referring to 15 August 1975 carnage, 21 August 2004 grenade attacks, turning the house of Sheikh Rehana into a police outpost which she got under the law enacted to give security to the family members of the Father of the Nation and the incident of not allowing her (Sheikh Hasina) to enter Khaleda Zia's house after death of her son Koko, the premier said, "How do they expect more sympathy from me for Khaleda Zia."

She called upon the Bangladeshi expatriates to send remittances through banking channels, recalling their contribution to every progressive and democratic movement that included the War of Liberation in 1971.

Against the backdrop of a hike in inflation due to the ongoing Ukraine war, sanction and counter-sanction, she asked all not to leave a single inch of land to cut dependency on others for food.

"Grow whatever you can by using every inch of land," she said.

Briefly describing her government's measures to make Bangladesh socio-economically advanced, she said they have transformed Bangladesh into a developing and digital country and are now working to make it a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.