Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cuts a cake marking the 18th founding anniversary of Bangladesh Awami Swechchhasebak League at Gono Bhaban in the city yesterday. Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Khaleda Zia to apologise for her “audacious” comments about the constitution.
Khaleda, at her party's mass hunger strike on July 13, said the constitution would be thrown away when BNP returned to power.
“The opposition leader must withdraw her audacious comment otherwise the nation would never forgive her. She has to seek apology from the nation for her comment,” Hasina said.
She was addressing a function organised to mark the 18th founding anniversary of Bangladesh Awami Swechchhasebak League at Gono Bhaban in the morning.
The prime minister said the constitution has been made sacred with the 15th amendment. “After a long 35 years, we have been able to restore the spirit of 1971 War of Liberation in the constitution with the people's mandate,” she said.
Hasina said the amendment secured people's voting rights and other democratic rights. “From now on, none can snatch away their (people's) voting rights,” she said.
The prime minister said the opposition leader can make such comments about the constitution as she and her party is always against democracy and the people's rights.
“They are habituated to rig elections. But people will never allow them to rig any election in the future,” she said.
Hasina said if the opposition leader had the sense of patriotism and belief in the nation's sovereignty and independence, she would not have made such comments.
The prime minister thanked the last caretaker government for formulating a flawless voter list after detecting 1.23 crore fake voters included in the list by the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
Hasina said Khaleda Zia is now crying for a caretaker government though the last caretaker government filed cases against her and her sons.
“If she cries for the caretaker form of government, she has to admit that the last caretaker government had done the right thing by filing cases against her and her sons.
“The opposition leader must agree that the last parliamentary poll on December 29, 2008 was held in a free and fair manner,” she said.
Referring to Khaleda's allegation that the last caretaker government helped Awami League (AL) come to power, Hasina said the former president Iajuddin Ahmed, army chief Moeen U Ahmed and chief adviser Fakhruddin were Khaleda's men.
“Fakhruddin was called back from World Bank and made Bangladesh Bank governor during the last BNP-Jamaat regime while Moeen U Ahmed was made the army chief superseding nine major generals,” she said.
AL Organising Secretary Bahauddin Nasim and Bangladesh Awami Swechcchasebak League President Mollah Kawser and General Secretary Pankaj Devnath also addressed the meeting.