Wrongdoers won't be spared, warns Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said some opportunists have sneaked into her party with a perception that they would remain safe after doing wrongs but she cautioned, wrongdoers would never be spared, reports UNB.

"I like to say in clear terms that whoever they may be - Chhatra League or Swechchhasebak League - would never be spared after committing offences or repressing people," she said. "I won't tolerate any kind of indiscipline or chaos."

Hasina came up with the toughest warning at a function at Ganobhaban in the morning. The function was arranged as senior leaders of Bangladesh Swechchhasebak League went to meet the Prime Minister on the occasion of the organisation's 16th founding anniversary.

Reacting to certain remarks by BNP leader Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury MP made on Monday about amendments to the Constitution, she said: "Some people are trying to frighten me with the consequences similar to that of my father. I would like to ask these people who are speaking like this and trying to mislead the public, to look back to their past."

Hasina said the people of this country did not forget the role they had played during 1971. "It's a futile exercise to try to scare me," she said, recalling the planting of 70-80 kgs of bombs at Kotalipara and subsequent grenade attacks to kill her.

"But, the Almighty Allah saved me. As long as Allah would keep me alive none will be able to cause any harm to me," she said in an emotion-charged voice.

The Prime Minister said the evil quarter is trying to frighten her to foil the government's move to try the war criminals and implement the Supreme Court verdict declaring illegal the fifth amendment of the constitution.

"But no fear or threat would deter me from performing the sacred duty to try the war criminals and implement the apex court verdict."

She said honesty and patriotism gives a special strength. "Work for the people and the country with honesty and dedication and earn their love and respect."

In this connection, Hasina mentioned the "limitless" corruption by the former Prime Minister, his sons and her cabinet members during the last BNP-Jamaat alliance rule.

"They (four-party alliance) thought that they would buy people's votes by their illegal money. But they didn't realise that people's love and respect cannot be bought in exchange of money," she said.

She said the general election of December 29, 2008 clearly proved that people always like honest and patriotic politicians.

Referring to legalising undisclosed money by Khaleda Zia and her sons, Hasina said when a former Prime Minister of a country whiten black money, it becomes clear how limitless was corruption at that time.

"When the head of a fish got rotten, the rest of the body also got rotten. When their (BNP-Jamaat alliance) head was rotten, it is normal that others in the government would engage in serious corruption."

The Prime Minister said the BNP-Jamaat alliance had tried to rig the elections with fake voters list, but could not do so as the then caretaker government had been successful to identify 12.3 million fake voters.

She thanked the caretaker government for preparing a flawless voters' list in cooperation with Bangladesh Army.

The Prime Minister mentioned that in 2001, Awami League could not come to power as she did not agree to sell out country's mineral resources including gas.

She recalled how BNP founder Ziaur Rahman "unconstitutionally" grabbed the state power and said that a party "born in illegal manner can never work for people's interests."

Swechchhasebak League leaders Mollah Abu Kawsar and Pankaj Devnath also spoke on the occasion.