Author:
Publication: News From Bangladesh
Date: February 6, 2002
URL: http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/feb/06/p06022002.htm#A3
Chain of command in police admn
breaking down following transfers, she says
Awami League President and Leader
of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated her accusation that
there were Taliban in the BNP-Jamaat alliance government of Prime Minister
Begum Khaleda Zia.
"I repeat my claim that there are
Taliban, who want to wage an Afghan style war in the country to turn Bangladesh
into another Afghanistan" in the alliance government, she said while speaking
at a crowded press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.
In support of her claim, Sheikh
Hasina said that the BNP-Jamaat alliance nominated candidates at Narail
and Gopalganj who had remarked at rallies at Tungipara in Gopalganj district
and Paltan Maidan in the city in 1999 that within the year 2000 people
of the country would become Taliban and Bangladesh would be turned into
another Afghanistan. She said that organisations like Harkatul Zehad and
Markazul Islami which have Taliban connections exist in Bangladesh and
that these organisations were responsible for planting high-powered bombs
at her rally at Kotalipara in Gopalganj district in a bid to kill her.
Referring to the Monday night speech
of the Prime Minister to the nation over radio and television, she said
that the premier had told blatant lies about her and her party and that
the credit she (Begum Zia) had claimed for national development projects
during her 100-day period of government was tantamount to snatching away
the successes achieved by the previous Awami League government.
The former Prime Minister said that
all these projects including the planned construction of the three fly-overs
in the city for easing the traffic congestion were initiated and being
implemented by the previous Awami League government.
The ban on polythene shopping bags,
introduction of city bus service exclusively for female passengers and
taxi-cab service, import of some 200 double decker buses for the BRTC,
allocation of 10,000 computers for secondary schools and steps for lessening
the loadshedding problems by enhancing generation of power were projects
taken up by her government, she said regretting that the present government
was now claiming credit for these people-oriented projects.
But, she (Prime Minister) did not
mention her pre-election commitments including free education up to higher
secondary level and salary hike for the teachers' community.
Sheikh Hasina said that she had
never ever termed the people of Bangladesh fanatic, ultra-fundamentalist
or Taliban as mentioned by the Prime Minister in her address to the nation.
"From where has she discovered that I have made such remarks about my people?
", she said adding "I do agree that the people of Bangladesh are pious
and god-fearing but they should not be branded as fanatics". She also ruled
out the Prime Minister's claim that there were no rightists or leftists
in her party and that all in her party were centrists saying "What about
your Secretary General and the LGRD Minister, was he not a leftist ?".
The Awami League chief said that
the Prime Minister was spreading canards that she (Hasina) had branded
pious people of Bangladesh ultra-fundamentalists tarnishing Bangladesh's
image abroad. She wanted to know as to whether Begum Zia could provide
evidence in this regard.
[UNB adds: "What I have said is
that these elements are in the four-party alliance... The Prime Minister
is now making false propaganda against me with certain purposes," she told
reporters.]
Turning to the prevailing situation
in the country, the former Prime Minister said that there was an alarming
deterioration of law and order across the country. At least 20 BNP leaders
or activists were killed by their fellow partymen throughout the country
in the past 100 days of the government, she said adding that the government
had also failed to arrest 20 identified top terrorists, and for this, the
government would have to take responsibility.
Referring to some paper clippings
of Monday including those on the incidents at Munshiganj and Bhola where
terrorists damaged temples, she said that although the government had failed
to protect even its own activists from assassination, repression, atrocities
and torture on the people, particularly on the members of the minority
community were continuing unabated.
The people had become frustrated
at the price spiral of essential commodities, Sheikh Hasina said adding
that the government had borrowed Taka 3320 crore in one day from the nationalised
banks while state-owned banks had lent Taka 3800 crore within the last
four months.
"People want to know from this government
in whose interest this huge sum of money was spent and for what purpose"?
she said.
Replying to a question, the Awami
League chief said that they wanted to join parliament, but that the government
had failed to create a congenial atmosphere. She said that Parliament session
had suffered quorum crisis on several occasions due to absence of the members
of the four-party alliance.
Sheikh Hasina added that the statistics
relating to repression, torture and atrocities on the political adversaries
of the BNP-Jamaat government would be published soon and that her party
was also considering launching a movement against price spiral as well
as the repression perpetrated by whom she termed the goons of the government.
"Stop repression and atrocities
on the people and immediately arrest the identified top terrorists of the
country, otherwise people will turn against you soon", Sheikh Hasina warned.
To another query, she said the proposal
for formation of a shadow government as proposed by the Prime Minister
was nothing but a stunt.
Sheikh Hasina said that she had
never issued any threat against the former President, but rather it was
Begum Zia who threatened him from an electioneering meeting in Jessore
and following that threat he deployed Army personnel several days before
the national election. "From this episode it was again proved that Justice
Shahabuddin Ahmed had had a hand in the victory of the four-party alliance
in the October parliamentary polls", she observed.
Central leaders of Awami League
including Abdus Samad Azad, Zillur Rahman, Amir Hossain Amu, Mukul Bose
and Saber Hossain Chowdhury were present at the press conference.
According to UNB: In an oblique
reference to Moudud Ahmed, she questioned how a corruption-free administration
and the rule of law could be ensured when a person against whom the previous
BNP government had filed chargesheet on corruption, had been made the Law
Minister.
The former PM said that in the name
of de-politicisation, the alliance government was sacking pro-liberation
competent officers and appointing its own people in the civil and police
administrations, resulting in "chaos, fear and stagnation".
"She said, "Chain of command in
the police administration is nearly breaking down following massive transfers
or sacking without reason. Moreover, three Major Generals were terminated
and many more are in the queue to be axed.
Questioning the competence of the
present government, she said it does not require money to keep prices stable,
maintain law and order, and curb terrorism and repression on women. This
requires only determination, political will and competence stopping politicisation
and nepotism, she added.
Hasina further questioned if the
economy was in a bad shape, why the Prime Minister appointed 73 Ministers
and persons having the status of Minister, for which Tk 500 crore was being
spent. "Why did the government spend Tk 300 crore to reprint the textbooks
with distorted history of Liberation War and waste money on unnecessary
transfers and postings?
"Their only target is to make money,
fill pockets and siphon it off to Hawa Bhaban . . . They are wasting money
for satisfying party men on the one hand and crying for money on the other,"
she said.
"Does it matter whether we go to
parliament when the alliance has got a two-thirds majority?" She questioned
about the stunning outcome of the last polls that left her party in a dwarfed
opposition with only 58 seats.
Asked if she would give any alternative
programmes to help the government combat the situation, Hasina said that
the Prime Minister's proposal was vague. "But will she accept alternate
proposals? Let her be specific," the former Prime Minister said, adding,
"Let the government first stop terrorism, atrocity and arrest."
Asked for her comment on a BNP Minister's
admission that Bangladesh got benefited following the Ganges water-sharing
treaty, Hasina smilingly said, "they understood, but late."
About the Prime Minister's garbage-cleaning
programme for next March, Hasina cut a joke: It's good, I support it. Such
programme suits them".
Replying to a question about, what
she termed, the government move to banish Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
as "father of the nation", Hasina said their leader Ziaur Rahman had a
signed article published in weekly Bichitra in 1973 mentioning Bangabandhu
as "father of the nation".
"She said proclamation of Independence,
which is the basis of Bangladesh, clearly stated who declared Bangladesh's
independence. "BNP that was born in an unconstitutional way does not care
about constitution.
About the PM's comment in her speech
on ex-President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, Hasina asked why Khaleda Zia
developed such compassion for Justice Ahmed though her party MPs did not
support his candidature in 1996. Rather, they rushed to court to challenge
the legality of his candidature, she added.
(The Independent)
