Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the trial of Khaleda Zia will one day be held in 'people's court' in the country for patronising war criminals, militants and terrorists, reports UNB.
"The people of the country will put them on trial someday….their trial will be held in 'people's court’," she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a public rally organised by Bangladesh Awami League at Suhrawardy Udyan marking the 'Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu' on January 10, 1972 from Pakistan captivity after the country's victory in the Liberation War in 1971.
She said BNP and its chief only pay lip service about democracy as Khaleda Zia killed hundreds of people, destroyed public and private property in the name of resisting a general election and ousting the government.
Hasina mentioned that Khaleda had made war criminals her ministers, but those war criminals were later awarded capital punishment for their crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. "So, the word democracy and the protection of democracy do not fit their (Khaleda’s and BNP leaders’) mouths," she said.
The Prime Minister termed BNP terrorist and militant party as it is provoking militants in the country.
She reiterated her call to the people of all classes and professions to take a united stance to resist terrorism and militancy, saying the killing of people in the name of religion will not be tolerated.
Hasina also urged imams, teachers and guardians to remain alert so that their children do not get involved in the social menace. “Those who are killing people and themselves to go to heaven will certainly go to the hell as great religion Islam never allows killing and suicide,” he said.
Noting that the BNP-Jamaat clique created panic in the country through burning people to death in petrol bomb attacks on vehicles and damaging public property, Hasina said but they had retreated to avoid public wraths when people started resisting them.
After returning from the captivity of the Pakistan government on January 10, she said, Bangabandhu first came to Suhrawardy Udyan instead of going to his residence and in his address to the gathering, he clearly pointed out the roadmap of running an independent country.
She said Bangabandhu mentioned that in the independent country, all people will get food, shelter, clothing and education.
While rebuilding a war-ravaged country, the Bangabandhu government also raised the annual GDP growth to 7 percent for the first time in the country, she said.
The Prime Minister also said her government is working relentlessly to materialise the dreams of Bangabandhu and sought cooperation of all in this regard. She alleged that after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975, General Zia gave arms to meritorious students and misled them.
She also said the post-75 governments were busy making their own fortune although Bangabandhu liberated the country to bring smile to common people’s faces. “Bangladesh would have turned into a prosperous and rich nation 20/25 years back had Bangabandhu been alive,” she said.
Hasina said the present government is providing healthcare services with 28 types of free medicine to the doorsteps of common people through community clinics.
Besides, it is establishing at least one university in every district either under government or private management, reiterating her strong resolve to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income digital nation by 2021 and a prosperous one by 2041.
AL leaders Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Mohammad Nasim, Matia Chowdhury, Obaidul Quader, Bahauddin Nasim, Sujit Roy Nandi, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan also spoke at the rally.
Our Special Correspondent adds: Thousands of people were seen on the streets of Dhaka yesterday (Tuesday), either walking home after office or heading for the rally at the Suhrawarddy Udyan addressed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Awami League organised the rally to mark the “homecoming day” of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, freed from prison by the Pakistani authorities after Bangladesh emerged as an independent state following a bloody Liberation War.
All traffic was closed on roads leading to the venue before the rally started in the afternoon. This led to severe traffic snarls on other streets, where vehicles were stranded. This continued till the evening as the police found it difficult to ease the situation after the meeting ended.
On Monday, the police had informed people about the event and directed traffic to use designated roads and crossings by releasing maps. But nothing worked in the chaos, reported some of the sufferers, many of them reporters, including some employees of The Independent, coming to work in the afternoon. Some vehicles broke down or ran out of fuel during the long wait in the congestion.