PM slams BNP for raising questions
Coming down heavily on the BNP leaders for questioning the killing of nine militants in Kalyanpur, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last night raised the question whether the party had secret links with militants.
In her concluding speech at the budget session of parliament, she expressed wonder at the BNP leaders' shedding crocodile tears for the killed militants.
“Why are they [BNP leaders] expressing so much affection for militants? This is my question. Is there any secrecy? Are they involved in any conspiracy?”
The premier said BNP Vice-chairman Shah Moazzem Hossain and standing committee member Hannan Shah on Tuesday expressed doubt whether the dead were indeed militants.
“They also compared the Gulshan incident with this operation. No sane person can make comparisons between the two incidents,” Hasina added.
The leader of the House said when the government was trying hard to contain militancy, the BNP was trying to call police force's efforts into question by raising such questions.
Referring to recent terrorist attacks in Germany, the US, France and Japan, the premier said terrorists were either killed by law enforcers on the spot or they committed suicide. “This rule is followed whenever there is any operation against militants.”
The militants in Kalyanpur and Gulshan used similar bags and wore identical outfits and “pagri” (scarf), she added.
SESSION ENDS
The budget session of the 10th parliament was prorogued last night. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the president's prorogation order. The session which had 32 sittings saw passing of the national budget for 2016-17 fiscal and 16 bills as well.
The 11th session of the Jatiya Sangsad began on June 1. The proposed national budget was placed in the House on June 2 and passed on June 30.
A total of 246 lawmakers took part in the general discussion on the proposed budget for around 61 hours.
QUESTION-ANSWER SESSION
The PM during her question-answer session warned that those spurring terrorists and militants will have to face legal actions.
The government was extensively monitoring the contents of the print and electronic media to see if those encouraged terrorists indirectly, she told parliament.
Terrorism and militancy have now spread across the world like a disease, she said, adding the Gulshan attack tainted the country's image.
“These elements have been destroying the image of the holy religion Islam which is the religion of peace.”
She said some BNP leaders' remarks over the recent militant attacks and the police operation in Kalyanpur indicated the party was “patronising and encouraging” militancy and terrorism.
“Naturally, people might think they [BNP leaders] are the patrons of militants and terrorists…. They are patronising and encouraging this,” she said in reply to a supplementary question from Awami League lawmaker Dipu Moni.
The police and other law enforcement agencies took prompt actions to combat militants when they were ready to carry out another attack, mentioned Hasina.
“The police played a courageous role in combatting militants. I think this is just a blessing from Allah that the country and the nation averted another accident,” she added.
Following the July 1 Gulshan cafe attack, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had called for forging a national unity to rid the country from militancy.
In the aftermath of the July 7 terrorist attack at Sholakia of Kishoreganj, Khaleda and some top BNP leaders demanded the government step down for its “failure” to tackle militancy and terrorism in the country.
The PM said the BNP leaders' statements made it clear that they were setting conditions for ending militancy.
“They say 'do this; otherwise terrorism and militancy won't end'. It means they would stop these activities if their conditions were met.”
Urging people to be aware of it, the PM said the menace will be fought by making united efforts. “That unity has already been forged.”
5.50 LAKH POSTS CREATED
In a scripted answer to a lawmaker's query, the premier informed the House that over 5.50 lakh posts have been created under the government's various ministries, divisions and departments since 2009 and recruitment against these posts is underway.
The government has recruited 17,860 officers so far in different cadres through 28th-33rd Bangladesh Civil Service exams since 2009. Bangladesh Public Service Commission recommended appointing 2,175 officers through the 33rd BCS exams, she said.
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