DHAKA, Nov 3, 2023 (BSS) - Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President 
Sheikh Hasina today asked the leaders and activists of her party to be united 
and stay alert to ensure the environment of exercising people's voting right 
in the upcoming election, as BNP-Jamaat is there to foil the election. 

"Every leader and worker of AL have to be united, and the people's right to 
vote, which we have earned through struggles, have to be ensured. In order 
for that right to be guaranteed, the environment must be maintained so that 
people can cast their votes peacefully," she said.

The premier issued this directive while delivering her address as the chair 
at a commemorative discussion meeting organised by the AL marking the Jail 
Killing Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here in the 
capital.

Mentioning that their (BNP-Jamaat) conspiracy is to thwart the election, she 
said "many hands are behind there to foil the election and they will try in 
many ways."

"But, our strength is the people, people of Bangladesh," she added.

Sheikh Hasina firmly said that Bangladesh will move ahead with the ideology 
of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the four 
national leaders, adding that "the few miscreants can't be successful to foil 
the election."

"None would be allowed to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people 
of the country," she said. 

AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, 
Presidium members valiant freedom fighter Shajahan Khan, valiant freedom 
fighter Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram and Simin Hossain Rimi, 
organising secretary Mirza Azam, central working committee member Dr Mushfik 
Hossain Chowdhury, Syeda Zakia Nur Lipi, Dhaka South City President Abu Ahmed 
Mannafi and Dhaka North City President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, also spoke.

AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and his deputy Syed 
Abdul Awal Shameem moderated the discussion.

At the outset, one minute silence was observed to pay tribute to the national 
leaders brutally killed on this day. 

On November 3 in 1975, four national leaders and heroes of the country's 
Liberation War -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali and 
AHM Quamruzzaman-- were assassinated inside the Dhaka Central Jail.

The four leaders played a key role in forming the Mujibnagar government in 
exile, that led the Liberation War in 1971, with Syed Nazrul Islam as the 
acting president, Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime minister, Mansur Ali as the 
finance minister and AHM Qamruzzaman as the home, relief and rehabilitation 
minister.

The Prime Minister expressed her skepticism whether BNP will participate in 
the upcoming national election as they have the doubt of getting seat after 
winning election.

She said, "If they (BNP) come to election, actually they will participate in 
it only for nomination business."

In this case, the AL chief told her party leaders and activists that 
"Nomination, we will give it. Because, I don't sit idle as I will assess (the 
nomination seekers) every six months."

She directed her party men to remove the thinking from their head that "now 
they (BNP) are not there, we will win or what will happen if we don't get a 
seat? We will get the rest of the seats and form the government".

"This thought will bring disaster," she said, adding, "So, the decision that 
will be given (by us) have to be abide by." 

Sheikh Hasina also urged her party leaders and activists to create resistance 
against the arsonists in every area in an organized manner, taking the people 
on their side.

"Now, you will have to build resistance against these arsonists in every 
area, not only in Dhaka city," she said.

In addition, the premier asked her party men to give the protection of the 
public lives and property by finding out and handing over the culprits behind 
arson violence (to the law enforcers).

"If they (BNP-Jamaat) commit such arson violence in a place, you will have to 
find out how many BNP or Jamaat men (who are behind it) there and hand them 
over (to the law enforcers)," she said.

She said it is the responsibility of her party to ensure protection of public 
lives and property so that these can't be damaged.

"We've nothing. We've no mentor (Murobbi). We've the people of Bangladesh. We 
will have to move taking them with us," she added.

Sheikh Hasina asked all her party men to be organised in such a manner so 
that not a single culprit behind arson violence can be spared. "If anyone is 
caught red-handed while setting fire (to anything), then you will have to 
throw him into the same fire. The hand that sets fire to anything will have 
to be burnt. . .tit for tat. If so, they would learn lessons," she said.

A minute's silence was observed at the beginning of the programme to show 
respect to all martyrs from the Language Movement, the Liberation War, the 
August 15, 1975 carnage, the November 3, 1975 Jail Killing, the August 21 
grenade attack and other pro-democratic movements.

 
The prime minister said Bangladesh has developed a lot till now as it has 
been recognised as a role model of development by the world. When the 
purchasing power of the people of the country has increased and time comes 
for a little relief in people's lives, then they (BNP) feel discomfort, she 
added.

"If people stay good, they feel angry. BNP-Jamaat feels agony," the premier 
said.

She continued, "They play ducks and drakes with people's lives. That's why 
this burning, arson terrorism." 

She went on saying, "Women and children are not spared from their hands, 
police are not spared, hospitals are not spared. Ambulance with patients has 
also come under their attack."

Sheikh Hasina said that a Jubodal leader wearing attire with writing “press” 
set on fire to vehicles, she added that they are trying to fool people. "We 
have to protest against their terror activities taking people from all walks 
of life together because we believe in the power of the people."

The AL chief raised question that, "The party who kill people setting fire, 
what politics do they do? Their politics is for whom? Their politics is for 
whose interest?"

The prime minister said that they thought they would reverse Bangladesh again 
through recurrence of incident like August 15 and November 3. "Today, they 
couldn't do that. Today, Bangladesh has moved forward with the spirit of 
liberation war. That is what they want to destroy," she added.

Noting that BNP secured only 30 seats out of 300 ones in the 2008 election, 
she said now the position of BNP has become weak for their misdeeds.

The premier questioned who will be their leader if they run the election. 
"Who will be made the prime minister? With whom the cabinet will be formed?" 
she said.

She said BNP acting chairman (Tarique Rahman) is convicted in several cases 
including the 10-truck arms haul case and money laundering case. Ziaur Rahman 
had given birth to a black sheep.

"They were directly involved in the August 21 grenade attack. There is no 
doubt," she said, citing several remarks made by Khaleda Zia at that time. 

It is learnt that Tarique Zia earns crores of pounds through gambling and 
this gambling is his largest source of income, she said.

Talking about the jail killing, the AL president said Mostaq (Khondaker 
Mostaq Ahmad) and Zia (Ziaur Rahman) were behind the jail killing as they had 
been behind the August 15 carnage. Following the killings, all the goals, 
ideals and spirit of the Liberation War were destroyed one after another, she 
added.

"Had Ziaur Rahman been a real freedom fighter, why did he ban Joy Bangla 
Slogan during his regime?" said Sheikh Hasina.

The prime minister asked her party leaders alongside the other concerned 
agencies to find out the hoarders of commodities as the government will take 
action against them.

"I would like to ask our political leaders as well that the hoarders try to 
cut the pockets of the people by not marketing the commodities despite having 
enough goods in their stocks. They will have to be found out. We'll take 
action against them," she said.

Noting that conspiracies are being hatched in many ways against the 
government, Sheikh Hasina said there is no shortage of any commodity as the 
production of everything including meat, fish, rice, potato and vegetables 
went up significantly in the country.

"Who are behind these (misdeeds)? They hoard goods, not marketing these. They 
would talk against the government, increasing the commodity prices by not 
marketing these goods," she said.

The head of the government said the production didn't decline to a slight 
extent. "We've increased the production of everything including potato, 
onion, rice and pulse," she added.