Khaleda Zia godfather of terrorism: PM

Informing that the drive against terrorism is ongoing, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday evening said, “Khaleda Zia, now imprisoned BNP chief and ex-premier, is the godfather of terrorism”.

She came up with the comment while addressing a meeting of her Awami League’s National Committee ahead of the party’s national council later this month.

The meeting was held at her official Ganabhaban residence where members of Awami League Advisory Council, Central Working Committee, presidents and general secretaries of its organizational districts were present.

She said the country always moved forward when Awami League was in office and urged all to review what the nation actually achieved when others like Ziaur Rahman and his wife Khaleda Zia were in the helm of affairs.

“The country had rather turned into a land of terrorism, militancy, corruption, and famine whenever BNP was in power,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina described Khaleda Zia as the “godfather of terrorism” referring to the protracted nationwide violent street campaigns spearheaded by the party and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami in 2014 and 2015.

“No terrorism could be as worse than indiscriminate killing of innocent people through arson attacks,” she said recalling that as many as 500 people including policemen were killed and over 3,000 were injured in those attacks.

Reiterating her firm commitment to conduct the ongoing drive against terrorism, Sheikh Hasina said the drive against terrorism must be continued to reap the benefits of massive development carried out by her government.

The BNP chief and Tarique Rahman were involved in looting money, the premier said bitterly criticising Khaleda Zia for plundering money of orphans, adding they patronised the acts of terrorism and corruption.

“Khaleda Zia herself and her son embezzled money of orphans,” she said, adding that they did not want the welfare of the people as Khaleda Zia after assuming office made their fortunes through misuse of power.

Referring to the BNP’s movement in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the premier said they burnt people to death carrying out attacks on buses, launches and trains to foil the parliamentary polls, as they knew that the people will not vote for them.

“BNP knows that they will not come to the power as per the forecast of foreign surveys. So, they did business with giving nomination to three people against each constituency in the name of taking part in the national election of 2018,” she said.

The AL president also mentioned that BNP after assuming office in 2001 ran countrywide mayhem.

Slamming BNP for patronising the militancy and terrorism, the premier gave a hint that Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman were involved in the grenade attack on August 21, 2004.

Stating that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15 in 1975, she termed Zia, Khaleda and Tarique as killers.

The prime minister said she didn’t know why people are shedding crocodile tears over the treatment of a corrupt person like Khaleda Zia, who killed several hundreds of people by carrying out arson attacks.

Mentioning that the ruling Awami League doesn’t believe in the politics of vengeance, the premier said Khaleda Zia is in jail for embezzling money of orphans and the caretaker government had lodged the case.

“We have set an example in the world to give Khaleda Zia maid servant in the jail. There is no such example in the world,” she said.

Regarding the BNP’s chairperson’s health condition, Sheikh Hasina said that Khaleda Zia has long been suffering from knee problem.

In this context, she said that Khaleda Zia went under the knee cup surgery in the USA after assuming office in 1991 and she later went through the same treatment later in the Saudi Arabia.

Referring to killing of the people particularly Awami League leaders and activists in the name of ‘clean heart’ operation during the BNP-Jamaat regime and giving indemnity to the killers, she said, “Khaleda Zia gave legality to murders following the footstep of her husband.”

In this context, the premier said Ziaur Rahman killed thousands of people, including army and air force officials, while he was in power and passed an indemnity bill to save the killers of Bangabandhu.

The premier stated that Bangladesh is now considered as the miracle of development for the massive development works carried out by the Awami League government.

The premier once again vowed to make Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country free from poverty and hunger as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Spelling out various development programs taken by her government, the Prime Minister said that Awami League always works for the welfare of the people and for the country.

“Awami League is in the power means the development of the people and the country as well, “she said.

The premier also said that her government, the party, mission abroad and various organizations will celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu and Golden Jubilee of the Independence of the country.

To celebrate the events, the government has announced March 17, 2020 to March 26, 2021 as the Mujib Barsha.

 

Dhaka/Parvez/AI