Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government can’t be overthrown by carrying out clandestine attacks as the people are not behind the opposition movement.
“What can they do by imposing blockades? They want to topple the government. But how can they overthrow the government? The government can’t be ousted by clandestine attacks,” she asserted.
The premier was addressing a huge public rally arranged by Narsingdi district Awami League at Musleh Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium here in Narsingdi.
She said if the people don’t join, a movement can’t be waged. “BNP is a terrorist party. Jamaat is a party of war criminals. The people of this country can’t hear their words (call),” she added.
The PM blasted BNP as it came up with blockade and strike programmes accusing them of burning the people through arson violence at a time when the students will sit for examinations this November ahead of the next general election.
“They dare not to come in public,” she said adding that they rather set buses and even ambulances on fire and burn the people, emerging from any lane.
She said BNP men beat journalists and police and lynched police in broad daylight. “They’ve utterly been violating human rights,” she said.
The AL president, Sheikh Hasina, urged the people to catch and throw the arsonists in the fire. “If anyone goes to carry out arson violence and set a bus on fire, catch them and throw them in the same fire. If so, they would get a lesson otherwise not,” she said.
Coming down heavily on BNP leader Tarique Rahman, the PM said he was involved in many offences including the August 21 grenade attack, arms smuggling and money laundering.
“He (Tarique) is in London fleeing from (the country) and orders to carry out arson violence, staying there. Come back to Bangladesh, if you have courage. We’ll see you for a while,” she said.
Comparing the attack carried out by BNP men to a hospital and ambulance to the Israel bombing attack on Palestine hospital, she said the followers of BNP leader Khaleda Zia and Tarique Zia attack pregnant women in ambulances. “If so, my wonder if they are bastard sons of Israel,” she said.
About the minimum wage for garment workers, the prime minister said her government increased the wage from only Tk 800 to Tk 1,600 during her 1996-2001 regime. But no hike was seen during the subsequent BNP regime. Even the BNP government didn’t implement the government’s decision of Tk 1,600 wage for the next five years, she said.
Back to power in 2009, her government again raised the minimum wage on three occasions from Tk 1,600 to Tk 3,200, Tk 5,200 and Tk 8,300 in the past, she said.
“This time the wage was raised to Tk 12,500. Their wage was increased by 56 percent. What should be their objection now?” asked the premier.
She said the AL government raised the wage for garment workers to Tk 12,500 from only Tk 800 within only 14 years.
Hasina sought votes for ‘boat,’ the electoral symbol of ruling Awami League, in the upcoming national election.
When she asked the participants to raise their hands that they would cast votes for the boat, they raised their hands. Then she expressed gratitude to them.
“The arsonists and killers should not be allowed to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of Bangladesh,” she said.
The AL president also asked her party leaders and activists to work united for the party’s nominated candidate.
The prime minister called upon the people except the public servants to join the universal pension scheme for their better future.
Noting that her government created 2.5 crore to 2.75 crore jobs since 2009, she said only 3 percent people are unemployed now.
“But there is no scope to remain unemployed,” she asked the unemployed youths to become entrepreneurs by availing different facilities given by the government, including collateral-free loans from Karmasangsthan Bank.
The PM said the government has taken a total of 314 development projects for Narsingdi since 2009. Of the projects, 191 ones have already been executed and work on the remaining projects are underway.
Earlier, the prime minister opened the 10 newly implemented development projects.
AL presidium member Muhammad Abdur Razzaque and Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun also spoke at the rally presided over by Narsingdi AL president JM Taleb Hossain.