Khaleda to be tried for 'terrorism'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the trial of Khaleda Zia would one day be held for unleashing terrorism and militancy in the name of movement.
Speaking at a public rally at Bhanga in Faridpur, she said, "We believe in justice. The opposition leader will be charged with giving orders for killing and burning people to death.
"Inshallah, her trial will be held on Bangladesh soil to this end, and we will hold this trial."
Hasina, also the chief of the Awami League, was addressing the rally as part of the first leg of her electioneering for the January 5 polls in favour of the party candidate Kazi Zafarullah.
Urging the opposition leader not to play with the fate of people, she said her arch rival would have to shoulder the responsibility for the death of so many people across the country.
Since her government believes in justice, the AL chief said, the verdict in one war crimes case had been executed apart from the judgment in the Bangabandhu murder case, while the trial of BDR carnage cases had been completed.
Mentioning that Dhaka city dwellers did not pay heed to the opposition leader's call on May 4 this year to assist Hefajat-e Islam, she said, Khaleda Zia has now called upon people to join the March for Democracy on December 29.
"December is our month of victory, so she [Khaleda] doesn't like this month as she has teamed up with Jamaat-Shibir-Razakars who were cohorts of the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War.
"So, she will wage a movement on this   day and kill people as nowadays trees, cattle and people are not spared from her      destructive politics," Hasina told the rally at Balur Math.
Reiterating her government's stance to build the Padma Bridge with its own funds, the premier said, "Inshallah, we will be able to do that if the AL remains in power."
Hasina made it clear that apart from herself and her sister, their five children and their sons-in-law and daughters-in-law and their grandchildren, there are no Bangabandhu family members.
"So, if anyone engages in ill activities using the name of the Bangabandhu family, I will not tolerate it.
"Those for whom the country's image has got tarnished and the construction work on Padma Bridge deferred can never be our relatives. And my question is: how could they amass such wealth?" she asked.
The AL president said the BNP chairperson was not joining the election as she would not be able to untie the war criminals.
"Just half an hour after the opposition leader in her address to the nation had      said Bangladesh had got detached from      the global arena, UN Secretary General               Ban Ki- moon phoned me, asking for more troops to the UN missions," Hasina told her audience.
The ruling party candidate Kazi Zafarullah, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, among others, spoke at the rally.
Addressing another public rally at Sadarpur Stadium, Hasina said, the BNP have to wait to catch the next election train as they missed the current one.
"I would like to say if you can sever all ties with Jamaat-Shibir and stop killing people, there could be discussions over the next election," she added.
The premier urged her audience to cast their votes for 'boat', the election symbol of AL, braving all obstacles.
NONE CAN
FOIL POLLS
Later at a public rally in Tungipara, the Al chief said no one had the power to foil the next national election billed for January 5 next year.
"No doubt, the next national election will be held in a free and fair manner as so far some 5,803 elections in different tiers were held in the last five years and there was no allegation against any of these," she said.
The premier will address another        public rally at Sheikh Lutfar Rahman            Degree College ground in Kotalipara this morning.
On her way back to Dhaka, Hasina will also address rallies at Louhajang College Ground and at Srinagar Stadium in Munshiganj today.