Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the people to vote for Awami League in the next election saying country's ongoing development would continue only if her party is voted to power.
"BNP has gone mad to protect the war criminals. Country's development will suffer a debacle if BNP and its allies- Jamaat and Hefajat- come to power," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said, BNP would initiate a politics of vengeance, corruption, militancy and terrorism that they had unleashed during 2001-2006, if they can capture the power again.
She said, Bangladesh went behind in all economic and social index during the past tenure of BNP, and the leader of the opposition has already given threat to stop many of our developments, obstructing the ongoing development.
The Prime Minister, who arrived here yesterday afternoon to inaugurate a number of development projects and lay foundation of some others, was addressing a huge a public meeting at Shaheed Monju Stadium.
Sheikh Hasina said, BNP leader and her allies Jamaat and Hefajat have already started the rehearsal in many parts of the country what they will do if they come to power. They will open Hawa Bhaban newly and start attacking political opponents and minorities, rape women and resort to arson, she said.
BNP will stop the educational support programmes taken by the present government including free distribution of textbooks among students, stipends and community clinics, and the country would also experience a big jolt in its way of digitalization.
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, PM's advisor Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, state minister for power Enamul Haque, state minister for primary and mass education Motahar Hossain addressed the meeting, while president of Upazila unit of Awami League Alhaj Shahjalal Mia was in the chair.
Central Awami League leaders Ahmed Hossain, SM Kamal Hossain and Enamul Haque Shamim, Nasim Osman, MP, Nazrul Islam Babu, MP, Gazi Golam Dastagir, MP and Subid Ali Bhuiyan, MP also spoke on the occasion.
Recalling the grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka on August 21 in 2004, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, the politics of conspiracy had begun in Bangladesh after the killing of Bangabandhu. People's right to food and franchise was snatched and Bangladesh was made a country of terrorism and militancy, she added.
She said, Bangladesh was liberated under the leadership of Bangabandhu, who also rebuilt the war ravaged country within a short period after independence. But Bangabandhu was killed when he was carrying forward the country to economic progress.
Sheikh Hasina said, coming to power after 21 years, Awami League made the country self-sufficient in food production. But, Bangladesh again became a food-deficit country during BNP's last tenure. They tried to cling to power by making 1.23 crore false voters. But, people of the country foiled their ill motive.
She said, BNP taking office in 2001 had resorted to a reign of terror all over the country. Many Awami League leaders and workers including former Finance Minister SAMS Kibria and Ahsanullah Master were killed at the hands of BNP.
BNP killed 17 workers as they wanted enhanced wages while 18 farmers were killed for demanding fertilizer, she said adding the BNP government shot dead people in Kansat as they demanded electricity, she added.
The Prime Minister said, the state of emergency was declared in the country in 2007 and a military-backed caretaker government clung to power for two years due to failure of BNP. No section of people could escape their torture. BNP didn't change its character at all over the last seven years, she said.
Pointing out her government's initiative for power generation in private sector, the Prime Minister said, the Awami League government after taking office in 1966, took first such initiative in Haripur and Meghnaghat.
Extending her thanks to the people of Narayanganj for electing all five candidates of Mohajote in the last general election, she said people's mandate helped her government in taking massive development work in Narayanganj.
Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated a number of development projects- 412 MW combined cycle power plant, Muktijoddha SM Majharul Haq Auditorium and Community Centre, Narayanganj Circuit House and Sr Jyoti Basu Smriti Pathagar and Seminar Hall, Sonargaon.
She also laid the foundation stone of Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition-BIRTAN, Primary Teachers Training Institute, Araihajar Upazila Complex Bhaban, PC Guarder Bridge on Shitalakkya River at Murapara, and on Dayakanda Khal in Araihajar, Agricultural Training Institute, Bandar Upazila Health Complex Bhaban and Siddhirganj 335 MW combined power cycle power plant.
The Prime Minister said, every nook and corner of Narayanganj district has got touch of development during the tenure of the present government. She said over 21,000 kilometers of roads and over 4000 bridges and culverts were constructed in the country during this period.