Bangladesh will never bow down to any foreign pressure: PM

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday firmly said that the people of Bangladesh will never bow down to any foreign pressure.

"No matter how much domestic and foreign pressure comes, the Bangalees will never bow down to that pressure," she said, addressing, as the chair, a discussion on the occasion of historic Six-Point Day.

Bangladesh Awami League (AL) organized the meeting in city's Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

Sheikh Hasina said, "We must always remember that this country is ours. We will not let anyone play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of this country."

"We will protect the rights of the people of our country," she said, adding "We (AL) have brought democracy in this country through struggle. Bangladesh has progressed today because of democratic continuation."

Mentioning that the Six-Point was the "Magna Carta" of the people of Bangladesh, the premier said progress march of the country has been possible with this and Bangladesh became a role model of development. "We will move forward as a role model."

She laid emphasis on the continuation of democratic trend along with ensuring voting rights of the country's people and said that none could suppress the people of Bangladesh further.

"In the last 14 and a half years, Bangladesh has witnessed huge changes and development, and we will build Smart Bangladesh by 2041," she added.

The AL chief directed the leaders and activists of her party to be aware about this and highlight the present development activities and future plan of the government going to people of the country so that none could play with the luck of them.

The prime minister said no external force will put BNP in power bringing them with a merry-go-round, rather they will be used.

"They think someone, coming from somewhere else, will put them in power by bringing them with a merry-go-round. None will do (bring them to power) and ever does it, rather will use. It will use (them), but won't give them power," she said in reference to BNP's excitement following the announcement of the new US visa policy.

She said it is the Awami League that protected democracy and voting rights and ensured the continuation of democracy in the country.

Sheikh Hasina said, "Today, movement and struggle will be waged (by BNP) . . . It is better from the one perspective that if they resort to arson violence and kill the people, they will not get US visa."

She said those will destroy them (BNP), whose words make them (BNP) dance. "We've nothing to do. We've nothing to think of it," she added.

The head of government said that she has already told (the authorities concerned) to let the BNP wage movement. "Let them do how much movement they can do. We'll not say anything," she said.

She, however, asked the authorities concerned to keep their eyes open and camera on always so that they can't repeat the arson violence, burning and killing people as they did in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

She said they (BNP) may instigate and send the photographs outside the country. They don't believe in the power of the people, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said they protected the voting rights of the people of the country. "It is we who brought democracy, waging movements and struggles in this country. Since there is the continuation of democracy, Bangladesh today witnessed progress and socio-economic uplift," she said.

AL advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu, its presidium members Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Deputy Leader in Parliament Matia Chowdhury, Shahjahan Khan and Simeen Hussain Rimi, AL Dhaka south city unit general secretary Humayun Kabir and Dhaka north city unit general secretary SM Mannan Kochi also spoke.

AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and his deputy Syed Abdul Awal Shameem moderated the discussion.

On June 7 in 1966, Bangladesh's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman launched a massive movement against the misrule of the Pakistanis on the basis of the six-point demand, the Magna Carta of the Bengalis, demanding autonomy for the then East Pakistan.