Khaleda blindly opposing government’s success: PM

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DHAKA, April 13, 2017 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said BNP chairperson is blindly opposing the success of the government achieved from her recent visit to India.

Sheikh Hasina casts aside the claims of BNP chairperson that the government has inked the MoUs including the one of on defence with India keeping the countrymen in dark. “Khaleda Zia cannot see the success of our government as she is a blind opponent of us,” she said.

The prime minister said in her introductory speech in the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) at her Gonobhaban residence here this evening.

Sheikh Hasina said all MoUs and agreements signed with India have already came to press and foreign minister himself much ahead of his visit to India has made public all documents through press conference. “So why Khaleda Zia cannot see the documents?” she posed a question.

The prime minister asked Khaleda Zia why she could not bring water in Teesta when she was in power in 1991. She (Khaleda) even could not put up the demand of Ganges water before the Indian leaders.

BNP was always busy with flattering India and made Bangladesh a market of Indian goods. Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia never raised the demand to India for implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) in 1974.

Replying to a question on the remarks of Khaleda Zia, the prime minister said she didn’t visit India to beg anything but strengthening ties as a friendly neighbor and boosting ties in the areas of economy, communication, infrastructure and other areas.

That will come from India like power, gas, LNG, diesel as well as the support of US$ 4.5 billion under Line of Credit and support of US$ 500 million for defence purchase would bring benefit for the people of the country, she said adding Khaleda Zia feels guilty as she failed to earn anything from India.

General secretary of the party Obaidul Kader congratulated the prime minister for holding the successful Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Dhaka in the first week of this month.

The central committee also congratulated the prime minister for her successful visit to India and taking Bangladesh relation with India to a new height.

About Khaleda Zia’s opposition of the MoU on defence framework with India, the Prime Minister said Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia did nothing for development of the defence force, rather they used it as a ladder to usurp power.

“Ziaur Rahman had only a legacy of committing repeated bloodsheds in the armed force. He killed officers one after another to consolidate his power,” she said.

The Prime Minister also brushed aside the statement of Khleda Zia that she uses religion in politics. She said, “I practice religion, but don’t use religion in politics. Rather Khaleda Zia uses religion in politics.”

She said Khaleda Zia utters Bismillah but habituated to speaking lie. In the name of religion, they (BNP terrorists) burnt hundreds of copies of the holy Quran inside mosques. They also killed a Krishak League leader in Bogra when he was reciting from the holy Quran, she said.

The premier said the BNP government stopped the expansion work of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, which was undertaken by the Awami League government with the financial support of the Saudi government. Bangabandhu banned liquor, gambling and horserace. But Ziaur Rahman lifted the ban.

Sheikh Hasina blasted the BNP chairperson for providing false and misleading information about selling of the country saying those who have no idea about the country and its people can disown country’s interests to foreigners.

About her government’s decision to give recognition to the Qawmi Madrasa education, the prime minister said the recognition would help the Qawmi Madrasas students get job.

The government has been giving due importance to 14 lakh students in 75 thousand Qawmi Madrsas across the country. Various steps were taken for the welfare and preaching of Islam, she said.

About legality of the general election in January 2014, the prime minister said, people of the country had support to that election. Otherwise, the fate of the AL government would have been like the BNP after February 15, 1996.

International community recognised the 2014 election through electing Speaker of Jatiya Sangbad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury as the chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and Saber Hossain Chowdhury as chair of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), she said.

The prime minister said her party Awami League has been working for the welfare of the people and the trend of development must continue to materialise the dream of Father of the Nation to establish a middle income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.

Members of the Central Working Committee including Matia Chowdhury, Obaidul Quader, Kazi Zafarullah, Mohammad Nasim, Syed Ashraful Islam, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Nurul Islam Nahid, Faruk Khan, Dr Abdur Razzak, Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan were present at the meeting.