Khaleda queen of destruction

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the BNP chief does not know any other politics except politics of destruction.
“Begum Zia is a queen of destruction. She knows only destruction. She can only take, but can't give anything to the country except for terrorism and militancy,” the PM told a mammoth rally at Charghat High School ground in the afternoon.
The BNP, she said, has been cursed by a humiliating failure as it waged a hollow movement. “This is yet another failure in her [Khaleda's] life after dozens of similar ones in the past, including the failure she had experienced in her matriculation exams,” added the premier.
BNP's coming to power means “return of terrorism and militancy” in the country. The party had caused a reign of terror when it was in power from 2001 to 2006, complained Hasina.
“They had created dreadful Bangla Bhai and fomented widespread militancy during that period,” she added.
Before the January 5 parliamentary polls, said the PM, the BNP had announced that it would not allow holding the elections, knowing well that people are the owners of their rights of franchise. “The party was out to resist the polls through enforcing hartals and blockades. But the people didn't respond to their movement,” she noted.
She accused the BNP of taking a “beastly revenge” on people by burning them to death as they did not respond to its movement. The party killed 135 people by enforcing blockades for 34 days, mentioned the PM.
Also the president of Awami League, Hasina referred to a recent survey by the US-based Democracy International. It showed that the AL would have won the January 5 polls by at least a 5.8 percent margin even if the BNP-Jamaat had contested the elections.
“This proves that the BNP would have suffered a sure defeat. Knowing well about its bad luck, this party didn't join the polls race,” she said.
Instead, Khaleda Zia opted for hartal, blockade and terrorist acts including burning people to death, removing railway fishplates and felling trees on roads, noted the AL chief.
Pointing at the attacks on people of all faiths by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir terrorists before and after the parliamentary polls, she said neither the Muslims nor the Hindus could escape from the wrath of the BNP-Jamaat.
The PM said she had extended her hands of cooperation to Khaleda Zia by offering her (BNP chief) to sit for a dialogue to solve the problems. “Instead of coming up with a rational response, Begum Zia turned down my offer and chose the path of violence and anarchy.”
People have given a befitting reply to Khaleda Zia through the January 5 polls, said the PM, adding that more than 40 percent people have cast their votes in the polls braving hartal and blockade.
Calling upon the BNP chief to refrain from foul talks and falsehood, Hasina said the Election Commission and international reports have mentioned that 40 percent people have cast their votes.
On contesting the upcoming upazila parishad polls by the BNP and Jamaat, the PM said they have boarded a train after missing the January 5 polls train.
She highlighted successes of her government in the key sectors, including power, education, agriculture and health, and providing government jobs to about one crore youths, expanding social safety net, and spreading ICT facilities across the country.
“Our aim is to serve the people and bring smile on their faces. We always work for the socio-economic development of the people,” she said.
The PM mentioned that her government has taken initiatives to set up a fire station and a modern mosque in each upazila.
On various demands of local people, she said massive development activities were carried out in the district during the last five years of her immediate past government.
Capital dredging has already been launched in the Padma to save local people from erosion, she added.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, former food minister Abdur Razzaque, former state minister and AL Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former state minister Omar Faruq Chowdhury and former Rajshahi city mayor Kahiruzzaman Liton, among others, addressed the rally, organised by the local AL unit.
Earlier, the PM arrived here in the morning to attend the passing-out parade of the BCS 31st batch of probationary assistant superintendent of police (ASPs). She also laid the foundation stones of 11 development projects.