Hinting at BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman who is hiding in London, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here today said the killers and money-launderers must be punished.
“We’ve tried the killers of Bangabandhu and war criminals and wherever the killers and money launderers hide and whatever money they spend, there is no mercy to them and the nation won’t forgive them,” she told a view-exchange meeting at Taj Hotel in London this afternoon, reports BSS.
The premier said the courts have given verdict against the killers and money launderers. “We’ll take measures so that the judgement is executed… whatever slogans they raise and whatever scolding they give, they must be punished,” she said.
The United Kingdom (UK) chapter of Bangladesh Awami League and its associate bodies organised the view-exchange meeting with UK Awami League President Sultan Mahmud Sharif in the chair.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam was present on the dais, while UK AL General Secretary Syed Shazidur Rahman conducted the function.
Pointing out the BNP’s false propaganda against the government, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said those who were born through falsehood and illegally see everything illegal.
“Trading with lies is the character of the BNP and they’ve become owner of huge wealth by embezzling the orphans’ money and siphoning off money abroad,” she said.
“I believe in a word that the victory of the truth is a must,” she continued.
Referring to the Awami League’s landslide victory in the last general elections and country’s tremendous development over the last 10 years, the prime minister urged all to stay alert so that the victory is upheld and none can play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people like the past.
“You’ll have to remain alert so that none can play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people and distort the history of the country,” she said.
Regarding the construction of the much-awaited Padma Bridge, the prime minister said the government is constructing the bridge with its own funding. “Two kilometres out of 6.5 kilometres have been visible now,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said allegations of graft regarding the bridge were raised against the government. “But we didn’t accept the allegation, rather we protested as we had such courage,” she said.
The prime minister said: “Why we would accept the allegation which we didn’t do … an organisation will put blame on us and we will accept it, this will never happen. We don’t want to come to power with any blame.”
She continued: “I’ll not take responsibility of false blame and I know the people love the truth and value it… I also know that the path of truth is tough and I’ve come to this stage choosing this way.”