'Conspiracy, foreign help' won't take AL to power

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia told the main opposition Awami League (AL) in parliament yesterday that it would not be able to grab state power through "conspiracy and assistance of foreigners".

Khaleda, also the leader of the House, said a conspiracy is going on at home and abroad to split the four-party alliance, as the AL knows it can come back to office if the alliance stays intact.

"But, it will not be possible to weaken the alliance through conspiracy, instead it will further strengthen the alliance," she said while discussing the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.

"Anticipating this reality, they (AL) have rushed to the foreigners' door and are tarnishing the country's image through baseless propaganda against the country as they lost people's support and failed to engage them in anti-government movement," she alleged.

Khaleda, also the chairperson of the ruling BNP, said people's support is needed to come to power, which the coalition government has earned through welfare of the people.

"We hope people will trust us more in future and extend their support as they believe only the BNP-led coalition government can lead the country towards progress," she added.

In her one-hour speech she described in detail the successes in different sectors including social, economic, education, communications, health, and law and order during the last three and a half years of the coalition rule.

"People believe that the country would be able to achieve more development under the coalition rule."

The prime minister sought co-operation from all quarters to implement the proposed budget and hoped that the country would see further development once the "pro-people budget" is implemented.

The prime minister also came down hard on the main opposition for its 13-point proposal for amendment to the proposed budget and the threat to enforce hartal if its demands go unmet.

"It is sad and also unprecedented that the main opposition has given the 13-point (proposal) outside the House despite having membership in parliament. They (AL) have turned themselves into a trade union," she noted.

Continued Khaleda: "It is understandable in case of political parties having no representation in parliament. But why are you (AL) behaving like this?"

"It is their (AL) constitutional duties to attend parliament and speak for people's interest, but they do not do so," the House leader said.

She warned that the AL would have to answer to the people for this in the next election in 2007.

The prime minister concluded by urging the AL to shun destructive programmes including hartal and work together for the development of the country by joining parliamentary proceedings.