At party rallies in Bhola amid mounting fears of attack by political rivals, she accused a son of the premier of siphoning off Tk 11,000 cores from Bangladesh to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

The former prime minister addressed a number of largely peaceful, but hampered roadside rallies at the district headquarters, Lalmohan, Charfession and Borhanuddin in Bhola district on the second day of her southern region visit that also takes her to Barisal.

TENSION RUNS HIGH

In most places, the organisers could not build stages under the threat of violence by the activists of ruling-alliance leader Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Mikes were broken and looted in Charfession and Lalmohan and AL activists could not put up a dais at TB School grounds in Charfession.

The motorcade of Hasina ran into protests and was greeted by adverse graffiti, many of which demanded 'death sentence' to Tofail Ahmed and other leaders and activists of the AL, who hail from the district.

AL adherents Abdul Khalek and Md Shahjahan were assaulted in Charfession allegedly by BNP activists immediately after Hasina left the scene.

Addressing the rallies, the AL chief said when people would be aware of the 'plunder of public money' by the prime minister's family, they would force Khaleda and her sons to take shelter in the South East Asian countries where 'they are amassing wealth'.

'JUNGLE RULE'

Hasina alleged that Bangladesh was not witnessing the rule of jungle where crimes, corruption, persecution of opposition political leaders and activists and pressure on the press hit a new high.

Bangladesh's name has been sullied for violence against the press and the home minister has emerged as 'the enemy of journalists' on the world stage, she said, adding it further dented the nation's image that figured at the top of countries with corruption records for three successive years.

Accusing BNP leaders of empire-building, she said their wealth was getting fatter while most development projects stood unimplemented.

Accusing the BNP of widespread repression of minority communities immediately after the last general elections, she said Khaleda would have understood the woes and agonies of the victims and their families, if such incidents took place involving her family.

PUNISHMENT THREAT

Terming the people of the southern region as brave for fighting against natural calamities, she asked them to enter the names of 'ruling alliance-harboured criminals, oppressors of opposition leaders and activists and their godfathers, into a list.

They will be punished accordingly once the AL takes office, she told the crowds, asking them to prepare for fights against what she termed 'corrupt and criminal-harbouring coalition government'.

People are now buying kerosene at Tk 40 a litre, up from Tk 17 during the AL rule, she said.

The prime minister never understands the plight of buying dried chilli at Tk 100 a kg in Dhaka.

Alleged BNP activists injured Sohrab Bepari, a Jubo League activist in Baghia union, and garment worker Khalil Howlader, elder brother of BCL activist Kabir Howlader of Barthi union under Gournadi in Barisal, in incidents liked to Hasina's visit.

Barisal Mayor Majibur Rahman Sarwar at a rally of the four-party alliance in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall yesterday said they would not make any obstacle to Hasina's meeting at Bangabandhu Udyan in Barisal today, but would prevent every attempt to reorganise 'AL-backed criminals'.