Criminals to be brought to justice without considering identities: PM
Stressing that an offender will be treated as a criminal without considering his or her identity or affiliation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said they will surely be brought to justice.
She also alleged that the BNP-Jamaat clique has showed the path of attack on people in broad daylight.
"The BNP-Jamaat has infused beastliness among people. A criminal is a criminal whoever he or she might be and I don't consider who belongs to which party. The trial of criminals will surely take place," she said referring to the recent heinous attack on Sylhet college girl Khadiza Akter Nargis.
The Leader of the House was delivering her winding-up speech of the 12th session of 10th parliament in the evening.
She expressed her utter surprise at the filming of the attack on mobile phones by bystanders instead of coming to her rescue. "Why are people’s moral values fading away? Why didn’t anyone come up to save Nargis? This is my question. However, we've arrested the culprit," she said.
Khadiza, a Degree 2nd-year student of Sylhet Govt Women’s College, was chopped by Badrul Islam, an economics department student at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), on the MC College campus on Monday afternoon.
Reacting to the reports of some big media outlets about the political affiliation of the attacker, Hasina said, "There was neither political feud nor he (Badrul) went there to kill her representing the party. It has already become evident that he made the attempt on Nargis’ life following refusal of his love affairs.”
About the attempt to link the incident with a party, she said, "We're not giving shelter to anyone. A criminal is a criminal whoever he or she might be and he or she will surely get punished."
On some BNP leaders’ remarks on the issue, the Prime Minister questioned whether they have forgotten that had burned people alive with petrol.
Reiterating her firm and tough stance against terrorism and militancy, she said those who are engaged in terrorist and militant acts are getting punished and the trial would continue.
She also renewed her call to the guardians, teachers and religious scholars to always inquire about the wellbeing of children, students and youth, including what they do, where they go, with whom they spend time and whether they perform their academic activities properly.
Terming Islam a 'religion of peace', not the religion of terrorists and militants, Hasina said those who are killing people in the name of Islam are maligning this sacred religion as well as tarnishing its image alongside making tough the livelihood of Muslims.
"Almighty Allah will hold the final trial and give punishment. So, I'll call upon those wrongdoers to come to the path of humanity and peace shunning the wrong path," she said.
Talking about the allegation of BNP leaders about cases filed against them in different times, the Prime Minister said, "Shouldn't those who burned people alive face trial or those who are still bearing the brunt of burn injuries have the right to seek justice?"
Hasina went on saying, "The trial of those who burned people alive and damaged huge public property will surely be held on Bangladesh’s soil."
Mentioning that holding the trial of the war criminals was a pledge of her government before the nation, she alleged that Ziaur Rahman had patronised the war criminals and even made them prime minister and advisers. “Even her wife Khaleda Zia had given the country’s flag achieved with blood to the war criminals by making them ministers.”
"Why shouldn’t those who made the war criminals ministers be tried? Their trial should be held on the soil of Bangladesh," she added.
The Prime Minister said a fair democratic flow has now been created in Bangladesh and thanked the opposition party, all members of parliament, including the independent ones, for maintaining such environment in the House.
She said Bangladesh has now being recognised as a 'role model’ of development as her government has properly implemented its economic plans.
Hasina also vowed to further reduce the poverty rate in the next two years and two months of their current tenure to gradually make the country poverty-free one.
She also renewed her vow to make a hunger and poverty free mid-income country by 2021 and a prosperous developed one in South Asia by 2041.
PM urges India, Pakistan to exercise restraint
In the wake of growing tensions between two South Asian nuclear powers, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint so that there is no further escalation of tension allowing peace to prevail in the region.
"I urge both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint so that there’s no further escalation of tension …we want the people of South Asia not to suffer," she said.
The prime minister came up with her clarion call while delivering her 32-minute winding up speech of the 12th session of the 10th parliament this evening held with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
The Leader of the House said her government always wants peace to prevail in the South Asian region. "We never want to see any conflict and tension created in this region…if any such conflict is created, then Bangladesh will also be affected," she added.
The tension between the two countries grows as troops have been massing on both sides of the India-Pakistan shared border for days.