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Dismissing opposition BNP as headless Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the party seeks to create an unusual situation by foiling the upcoming national election.
“They know that they don't have any leadership. They are just a party without any head. One is absconding and another is in jail. That party does not want to hold any election. They just want to create an unnatural situation,” she said.
The prime minister was addressing a grand rally organised by ruling Awami League at Khulna Circuit House ground.
She said national polls are upcoming and all must remain vigilant during the voting.
“BNP-Jamaat knows that in 2008 elections they have got only 30 seats,” she said.
She again warned that the hands that set fire to vehicles would be burnt in the same fire.
“Give them a good lesson so that no one dares harm any one of the country. That kind of incident must not be allowed to happen again,” she said.
She asked the Awami League and its associate bodies to give protection to the country's people and law enforcement agencies.
The PM said that whenever Awami League comes to power the country gets developed and the people get welfare.
“It is very much regretful that BNP is the synonym of terrorism. The only task of BNP-Jamaat is to kill people through arson attacks,” she said.
In this connection, she mentioned the incidents of October 28 last when, she said, BNP-Jamaat terrorists mercilessly beat a policeman to death.
She said that BNP-Jamaat terrorists injured 45 policemen and attacked journalists who went there to cover their programmes.
“They attacked hospitals like the Israeli forces in Gaza. They also vandalised ambulances. I do not think that they have a little bit of humanity,” she said.
She mentioned that the only virtue of BNP-Jamaat is to kill people.
She said that the government has already declared to award Tk 20,000 for capturing arson terrorists and handing them to the law-enforcing agencies.
“We will not spare anyone who is involved in killing people through arson attacks,” she said.
She said that the continuous democratic process is helping Bangladesh gain massive development, visible to all.
Hasina, also the president of ruling Awami League, requested all to cast their votes for her party to enable it to serve the country and its people and continue the development of the country.
Regarding unrest in RMG sector, the prime minister said that given the inflation, the salary of government employees has been increased by only 5 per cent, but the wage of garment workers jumped by 56 per cent.
“Why should there be complaint? Nineteen factories have been damaged. Who is doing it? Who are among them? It is necessary to find out,” she said.
PM Hasina again described how her government increased the monthly wage of garment workers from Yk 800 in 1996 to Tk 1,600.
“But, during the regime of BNP, Begum Khaleda Zia didn’t hike their wage by a single take,” she said.
She said that the minimum wage of RMG workers has been fixed at Tk 12,500 now.
She also said that after taking over office in 2009 her government increased it to Tk 3,200 from Tk 1,600, then Tk 5,200 from Tk 3,200 and Tk 8,200 from the Tk 5,200.
“Although the RMG sector is a private sector, the government has hiked their wage through discussion with the owners,” she said.
Regarding the introduction of the Universal Pension Scheme, she urged all to register for it, saying it is a protection for all.
Khulna Awami League president and Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque presided over the rally.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and party leaders Sheikh Helal Uddin, Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel and Sheikh Sharhan Naser Tonmoy also spoke.
