Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said people of the country have rejected BNP’s call on December 10, just as they did during the “voter-less election” on February 15, 1996.

“I know there was a huge announcement for December 10 (from BNP). But people of Bangladesh rejected the arsonists, who have (in the past) made fake voter lists. People of the country not only rejected them now, they also rejected them in the 1996 voter-less election,” she said.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing the third tri-annual conference of Juba Mohila League at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan.

She said that on February 15, 1996, BNP held a voter-less election. No other political party and no voters responded to that election.

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“Through rigging votes, they made killers of the Father of the Nation – Rashid and Bazlul Huda – lawmakers,” she said.

She also said that people not only rejected that election, they also started a movement which forced Khaleda Zia to resign within one and a half months.

“It is in BNP’s character to toy around with elections and voting rights of the people. They are not the party of the masses,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that BNP does not care about people of the country, and power is the tool for them to loot.

She said that people of Bangladesh know that AL earned independence for them under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“It means whenever AL is in power, fate of the masses changes,” she added.

The Prime Minister said that BNP is synonyms with oppression, torture, misrule, looting, corruption, militancy and Bangla Bhai.

Recalling the dark days for the country after 2001 election where AL leaders, workers and the minority community were subjected to severe oppression and torture, the Awami League president said that AL never took revenge.

“Rather, we concentrated our efforts in developing the country,” she added.

The Prime Minister again requested people not to pay heed to rumours regarding liquidity crisis in banks.

She said that if there were no Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war, the government could have freed Bangladesh from hunger and poverty by 2022.

“Not a single person will be hungry, homeless,” she said.

She reiterated her aim to transform the country from “Digital Bangladesh” to “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041.

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, Juba Mohila League President Nazma Akhter and General Secretary Apu Ukil also spoke at the programme.

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Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the council by hoisting national flag with national anthem and releasing pigeons and balloons.

A one-minute silence was observed to show respect to all martyrs.

Juba Mohila League was formed in 2002. Since 2004, Nazma Akhter and Apu Ukil have been occupying the top two positions.

During its founding in 2002, a convening committee of 101 members was formed in Jubo Mohila League. In the first conference of the organisation held in 2004, Najma Akhtar was elected as the president and Apu Ukil as the general secretary.

After 13 years, the second conference of Jubo Mohila League was held on March 17, 2017. In the conference, Najma Akter was re-elected as president and Apu Ukil as general secretary.