None will be allowed to foil polls by burning people to death: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said no one will be allowed to gain advantage by burning people to death alive and thwarting the upcoming parliamentary election slated for January 7 next.

“No one will be allowed on the soil of Bangla to get benefit by burning people to death and foiling the election,” she said while exchanging greetings with the Christian community at her official residence Ganabhaban on Sunday (December 24) to mark the Christmas Day to be celebrated on December 25.

The premier heavily criticised those who ordered to launch such heinous attacks and carried the orders.

Citing an incident of setting fire on a passenger train by the BNP-Jamaat alliance, she said that a mother with her little child was killed in the fire.

“We don’t want to see such scenario,” she said.

The prime minister questioned what they have achieved by burning people to death, setting fire on buses, trains and other vehicles.

“What have they achieved by killing people, uprooting fish plates of the railway track and damaging properties of the masses to pursue political ill motive? I don’t know what kind of politics it is,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina condemned the perpetrators of arson violence and their commanders saying that burning people alive is a great sin unaccepted by any religion.

The premier said humanity and welfare of the mankind is the main verse of all the religions.

She said the soil of the country is for all irrespective of caste, creed, religions and professions.

“All will live here independently. I wish welfare and development for all,” she said.

“People of all religions will perform their religious rituals freely (in the country) as religion is for individuals but festivals for all,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina extended her Xmas greetings to the Christian community on the occasion of the Christmas Day 2023.