BNP elects 2 accused as leaders: PM

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday criticised the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for electing two people accused of different crimes as its chairperson and senior vice-chairman.
‘Who have the BNP elected (as their leaders)? One is accused of embezzling the money meant for orphans and another is accused of August 21 grenade attack and money laundering, and is also wanted by Interpol,’ she said.
Addressing a rally organised by Awami League at the Suhrawardy Udyan to mark the historic March 7 address of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Prime Minister termed the re-election of Khaleda and her son ‘nothing but an incredulous drama in the name of democracy.’
She asked what BNP would give to the nation when it elected accused people as its leaders and those who can kill people.
Hasina, also Awami League president, said that the BNP chairperson had killed scores of people for the sake of obstructing the 10th parliamentary elections and ousting the Awami League-led government.
She said the BNP chairperson would be held accountable for killing people in arson attacks and would be tried ‘on this soil’.
The Prime Minister said the BNP chairperson could not tolerate any progress of the country because of her love for Pakistan.
Pointing out to different government initiatives for removing illiteracy from the country, she said she wanted to see the nation educated so that people can stand on their own and not depend on others.
Indicating to Khaleda, Hasina said the nation had already experienced what can happen because of the ‘illiteracy’ of an individual.
‘We want to progress in every sector, in phases, like our national cricket team achieved by reaching the final and becoming runners up in Asia Cup tournament,’ she said.
The Prime Minister said the historic March 7 address of country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not merely a speech to unite a nation for a war against the Pakistani occupation force, it was also a call to build a new nation.
She said Awami League could not openly play the March 7 address of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from August 15, 1975 to 1996, as Zia and his wife tried to ban the address and destroy the spirit of the liberation war.
Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the historic address on March 7 in 1971 made a clarion call,  ‘Ebarer Sangram Amader Muktir Sangram; Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangram (the struggle this time is for our freedom; the struggle this time is for independence).’
Hasina sought people’s cooperation in her initiatives to make Bangladesh a respected nation in the world and become a middle-income country by 2021, braving all obstacles and conspiracies.
AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury presided over the rally addressed by senior party leaders including Amir Hossain Amu, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohammad Nasim, Mosharraf Hossain and Syed Ashraful Islam.
Earlier, AL central leaders in a series of preparatory meetings reportedly asked the grassroots leaders of Dhaka and its bordering districts to set a ‘new record’ in the turnout at Suhrawardy Udyan on March 7 by mobilising a maximum number of party activists and supports.
The turnout, however, was nowhere near record-breaking.
Mosharraf Hossain, also housing and public works minister, told the rally they had already identified where the podium from where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic March 7 address stood, and the place where the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered.
Both the historic places are reportedly now inside the Shishu Park at Suhrawardy Udyan.
The housing minister, however, said the government would not shift the children’s park from Shurawardy Udyan and instead the two historic places would be preserved inside the park so that children visiting the park will learn know about their history.
He said a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be constructed at the historic place from where he delivered his March 7 address.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net