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PM Sheikh Hasina Emphasizes No Room for Arson Terrorism in Political Movements
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has underscored her firm stance against any recurrence of the 2013-14 incidents of arson terrorism and inhuman atrocities in the run-up to the next national election. During a community reception held in her honor at the Methodist Central Hall Westminster, she emphasized that there would be no tolerance for such actions conducted in the name of a movement.
Recalling the events of 2013-14, Prime Minister Hasina pointed out that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had wreaked havoc across the country by setting people on fire, destroying public and private properties with petrol bombs hurled at various modes of transportation, including buses, trains, and launches. These actions led to severe burn injuries for many, including women, who continue to suffer from the consequences.
She clarified that her government had no objection to peaceful movements but highlighted the stark difference between peaceful protests and movements that involve killing people through arson terrorism and damaging the nation’s assets. She also referenced a past incident where 29 police personnel were killed, emphasizing that any attempt to harm innocent citizens would not be tolerated.
Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen and AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr. Abdus Sobhan Golap were in attendance during the event, presided over by UK AL President Sultan Sharif and moderated by General Secretary Syed Sajedur Rahman Faruk.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who also serves as the President of the ruling Awami League, criticized the BNP’s claims about democracy, citing their dubious election practices. She noted that the people of Bangladesh had swiftly removed the BNP from power within a short period after they conducted a controversial election on February 15, 1996.
Regarding voter lists, she pointed out that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had attempted to manipulate elections by creating a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters. In contrast, Awami League leaders and activists had worked tirelessly to establish and protect the voting rights of the people, with some even sacrificing their lives in the process.
Prime Minister Hasina reiterated her commitment to holding free and fair elections, highlighting the reforms implemented by her government, including the establishment of an independent election commission and the introduction of transparent ballot boxes and voter lists with photographs.
She also mentioned that the BNP’s focus had shifted from political movements to seeking treatment abroad for Khaleda Zia. She clarified that she had acted within the confines of the law when allowing Khaleda Zia to stay at home after suspending her jail term in a corruption case.
Prime Minister Hasina called upon Bangladeshi expatriates to send remittances through official banking channels, acknowledging their contributions to the country’s progressive and democratic movements, including the War of Liberation in 1971.
In light of rising inflation due to global factors, she encouraged citizens to utilize every inch of land for agriculture to reduce dependency on food imports. She briefly outlined her government’s efforts to advance Bangladesh economically and digitally, with the goal of transforming it into a developed and prosperous nation by 2041.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
