Khaleda slates govt for price hike, political harassment

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An investigator at Tughlaq Road police station inspects a vehicle that exploded near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi Tuesday.

KHULNA, April 18 (UNB): BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has said the price hike of essentials in recent times has shocked the public.
Addressing a grand rally in Khulna, she claimed that prices of essentials items such as pulse, soybean oil, eggs and so on were much lower during the last BNP government's tenure, through a comparison of their prices then and now.
Mocking the Prime Minister, Khaleda recalled that when prices had gone up during the BNP regime, her opponents had chanted 'Khaleda Jobab Chai' (Khaleda, we want answers). Now answers will be sought from 'bubujaan' (Hasina) and she will have to comply.
Khaleda said in the past, when prices of essentials had increased in the international market, her government had given subsidies to keep prices within the purchasing capacity of the people.
She alleged that the government is increasing prices by forming syndicates.
The ex-prime minister deplored the violence, tender manipulation, and extortion at all levels including small shops, traders and truck drivers by the Chhatra League and Jubo League (student and youth wings respectively of the Awami League). She criticised the government for taking no action to bring these elements under control.
Khaleda, also the leader of the opposition in Parliament, said the country is not safe for those who cannot control their own party. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister did not take any action against the unruly elements within their own party, and are rather busy harassing the opposition and filing cases against them.
On the February 2009 BDR Pilkhana carnage, Khaleda criticised the Prime Minister for holding meetings with the rebels without curbing the mutiny first. She used this to raise doubts about where those rebels had come from, whether they were Bangladeshi, and if so how they could kill their officers.
Khaleda said one day the Moeenuddin, Fakhruddin, Prime Minister and Home Minister cabal will have to answer all these questions.
On Bhola-3 by-election, Khaleda cautioned the Election Commission that there is still time for it to take steps to ensure a secure environment for a free, fair and neutral election in the constituency, where voters can go to the polling centres to cast their vote freely without fear.
She said a movement would be forged against the Election Commission and the government if the EC fails to restore a fair environment free of terrorism and rigging.
Refuting the Awami League government's allegation that not a single megawatt (mw) of electricity had been added to the national grid during the BNP's 2001-06 tenure, the widow of slain president Ziaur Rahman said the BNP had in fact added over 1500 mw to the national grid during that period.