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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said BNP plays ducks and drakes with the election and people's voting rights side by side pushing the country behind whenever it comes to power.
"Whenever BNP assumed power, they played the ducks and drakes with the elections and people's voting rights and this is its character. So, they don't care for the people as they consider power as something to enjoy and a chance of looting," reports BSS.
She made the remarks while addressing the triennial national council of the Bangladesh Jubo Mohila League at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan as the chief guest.
Referring to statistics of various developments carried out between the Awami League (AL) and the BNP government, she said, "The trend of development continues. But, the development backtracked whenever the BNP came to power."
She said her government elevated the education rate to 65 per cent from 45 and increased electricity generation to 4,300MW from 3,00MW after assuming power for the first time in 1996.
But the education ratio got down to 45 per cent and electricity generation reduced to 3,200MW when BNP came to power for the second time in 2001, she said.
"BNP can only develop itself after opening Hawa Bhaban and Khawa Bhaban. They can do nothing for the welfare of the country and its people. For that reason, the people have boycotted them time and again," she alleged.
Sheikh Hasina said Khaleda Zia held the February 15, 1996, national election with a 1.23 crore fake voters' list, but the people and political parties of the country boycotted the farcical election.
"People not only rejected the election but also launched such a mass upsurge making Khaleda Zia compelled to leave the power within only one-and-a-half months," she added.
Referring to the BNP-Jamaat government's inhuman torture including arson attacks, murders and rapes carried out against the leaders and activists of the Awami League and its front and associate bodies across the country soon after the 2001 national election, she said the tortures were similar to the Pakistani occupation forces on the unarmed people during the War of Liberation in 1971.
She said BNP means torture, repression, misrule, looting, corruption and militancy in the country.
"Women were raped indiscriminately after the 2001 election. From six-year-old girls to 60-year-old women were raped by the BNP-Jamaat's hoodlums," she continued.
The Prime Minister also recalled the arson attacks of the BNP-Jamaat clique from 2013-2015 in the name of a movement to topple the Awami League government in which 500 people were burnt to death and over 3,000 suffered burn injuries alongside damaging and burning thousands of vehicles.
Hasina said her party does not believe in revenge, so they did nothing to the BNP-Jamaat men.
Referring to the BNP-Jamaat's repression and limitless corruption that invited the emergency government to the country in 2007, she said, "I know they (BNP-Jamaat) had many plans regarding the date 'December 10'."
She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had introduced a 10-per cent quota for women in the public services and made education free for women as he wanted to empower women economically.
Describing various measures taken by her government for the empowerment of women following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, she said they have taken initiatives in recruiting women in the army, navy and air forces, Border Guard Bangladesh, police and other government agencies.
The Awami League Chief asked the Jubo Mohila League leaders and activists to study the book "Amar Dekha Noya Chin (New China as I Saw) written by Bangabandhu in which he talked about women empowerment.
She also asked them to stay beside the people going to their localities across the country being inspired by the ideal of the Father of the Nation.
Hasina said her government has been working tirelessly to implement "Vision-2041" aimed at transforming the country into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041, maintaining the status of a developing nation attained by implementing her party's "Vision-2021''.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister and General Secretary of the Awami League Obaidul Quader addressed the function as the special guest.
President of the Jubo Mohila League Nazma Akter presided over the council while it's General Secretary Apu Ukil conducted it and presented the organisational report.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
