Politics

BNP`s demand for fair poll is sarcastic: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said BNP`s demand for fair and neutral polls is sarcastic as people of the country know very well about their origin, democratic behaviour and culture."BNP is a political party formed by a military dictator violating the country`s constitution and military rules. It`s founder Ziaur Rahman has historical legacy of rigging polls during his lifetime. His wife Begum Khaleda Zia is the champion of the voterless election on February 15, 1996 and many other polls," she said.The prime minister was addressing a huge public meeting at Khanbari in North Medini Mondal under Louhajang upazila in Munshiganj here. Awami League (AL) Munshiganj district unit organized the public meeting marking the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the district to inaugurate the construction of the main structure of the Padma Bridge and work of the river training.Sheikh Hasina said people had compelled Khaleda Zia to quit from power within one and a half months of February 15, 1996 election. Now they give sermon on election which is mockery with the people.BNP itself is an illegal party which, since its inception, has left marks at every step of destroying independence and democracy and frustrating development. "So how will they do anything legally?" asked the prime minister.The prime minister said Khaleda Zia while in power suspended the construction work of the Padma Bridge along with many other development projects initiated by Awami League. Killers of Bangabandhu became parliament members under the patronage of BNP," she said."We are so unlucky that we have to hear what is right and wrong of polls from BNP, a party which doesn`t know how to work for welfare of the people and only knows how to destroy," Sheikh Hasina said.Pointing out the destructive politics of BNP in 2014 in the name of movement to foil the parliamentary election, the prime minister said they killed about 150 people, 55 bus drivers and helpers, 22 members of law enforcement agencies, burnt to ashes hundreds of copies of the holy Quran and even killed devotees inside the mosque.BNP did the same atrocities when they came to power in 2001 and they resorted to violence in the first three months of this year in the name of dislodging the Awami League government. The activists of her party swooped on innocent people and burnt them alive at her instigation, the prime minister said.President of Munsiganj district unit of Awami League Mohiudddin Ahmed presided over the meeting. AL Advisory Council Member Amir Hossain Amu, AL Presidium Members Matia Chowdhury and Nooh-ul-Alam Lenin and PM`s Economic Affairs Advisor Dr Moshiur Rahman addressed the meeting.AL Joint Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dr Dipu Moni, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Food Minister Advocate Kamrul Islam, Organizing Secretaries Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and Ahmed Hossain, central leaders of the party Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Fazilatunnesa Indira, Sukumar Ranjan Ghosh, MP, and former whip Saghufta Yasmin Emily also spoke on the occasion.Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the construction of the main bridge and work of the river training under the Padma Bridge project and visited the construction site on the Padma River by boat.Brushing aside the demand of BNP for withdrawing legal suits against BNP leaders and workers on charge of arson attack, killing and vandalism, the prime minister said cases were filed against the persons responsible for burning people alive, setting fire and destroying public property. No criminal would be spared and those persons responsible for killing people and their sponsors and financers would be brought to justice, she said.