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No destructive politics in name of movement: PM

July 04, 2014 00:00:00


Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina said on Thursday that her government would not allow any further destructive politics in the country in the name of movement, report agencies.

"The movement of BNP-Jamaat is just killing people and arson, nothing else. We don't want this type of agitation to continue further in the country," she said in parliament while delivering her winding up speech on the last day of the budget session.

Hasina said a lot of games have been played with the fate of the people. "Now the country will run as per the constitution," she added.

Recently, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia threatened to wage tough movement against the government to press home their demand for fresh national election under non-party government.

The PM said the BNP and Jatiya Party governments ruled the country from 1975 to 1996 when the poverty increased along with the number of millionaires.

She mentioned that during the Awami League (AL) rule, the poverty rate has decreased to 26 per cent and said it will decline further.

Hasina said that in the last five years of the AL government, some 50 million people have graduated to middle income group from lower income group.

Emphasising her government's initiatives on establishing good governance and rule of law, she admitted that some incidents like Feni and Narayanganj have occurred.

"Yes, there have been some incidents like Feni and Narayanganj. Unfortunately we lost some of our men. Who were behind this? We are not sitting idle. We took immediate steps whenever there was any incident."

The PM also said that the law will take its own course. "I will not see who belongs to which party. I can ensure this to the people. Criminal is just criminal."

She mentioned that the accused persons in incidents like Feni and Narayangaj have been brought under the law and said: "Surely, their trial will take place."

Hasina waved a number of photographs that contained various destructive activities of BNP-Jamaat during the January 5 election, which they boycotted.

She alleged that to foil the election, the BNP-Jamaat men destroyed more than 500 academic institutions across the country, which were supposed to be used as polling centres.

"The continuation of the democratic system was upheld in the country by holding the January 5 election," she said.

The PM thanked the Election Commission for their hectic job to hold the January 5 election defying numerous odds.

Recalling the miserable days of military dictators after 1975, she said that her party always wanted the continuation of democracy in the country.

Hasina said that her government wanted to maintain good relation with all neighbouring countries. "We want good relations with India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, and all other South Asian countries for ensuring the economic development."

Talking about the verdict of maritime boundary case with India, she said that the verdict would be given in the first week of the current month.

She urged all to pray so Bangladesh gets its due share in the verdict.

Blasting the BNP-Jamaat nexus for its beastly acts in the name of resisting the January 5 elections, the PM said the nation would never forget this clique's ruthless activities in the years to come.

The BNP-Jamaat alliance always unleashed such kinds of spiteful acts whether it was in power or in the opposition," she added.

The PM said after the rampage and mayhem of BNP-Jamaat alliance, many people had assumed that the government won't be able to implement the budget and maintain the trend of development. "But we have faced this adverse situation in one hand, while maintained the trend of development in the other hand," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said braving this adverse situation, the government quite successfully executed 96 per cent of the Annual Development Programme ( ADP) and maintained over six per cent growth rate during the outgoing fiscal year. "We are working to uphold the hopes and aspirations of the people," she said.

The PM said: "I would like to say that the country is ours. But what the country gains from burning the innocent people to death?"


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