Govt can’t be overthrown by covert attacks

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government cannot be overthrown by carrying out clandestine attacks as the people are not behind the opposition movement.

“What can they do by enforcing blockades? They want to topple the government. But how can they overthrow the government? The government can’t be ousted by secret attacks,” she said.

Hasina said this while addressing a rally as the chief guest at the Mosleh Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Narsingdi after she inaugurated Ghorashal-Polash Urea Fertiliser Factory, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The PM said if the people do not join, a movement cannot be waged. “BNP is a terrorist party. Jamaat is a party of war criminals. The people of this country can’t hear their words [call].”

She blasted the BNP as it came up with blockade and hartal accusing them of burning people at a time when students will sit for examinations this November ahead of the general election.

Hasina added that the BNP activists beat up journalists and police. “They’ve been violating human rights.”

“If anyone goes to carry out arson violence and set a bus on fire, catch them and throw them in the fire. If so, they would get a lesson otherwise not.”

Coming down heavily on BNP leader Tarique Rahman, the PM said he was involved in many offences, including the August 21 grenade attack, arms smuggling, and money laundering.

“He [Tarique] is in London fleeing from [the country] and instructs to carry out arson violence, staying there. Come back to Bangladesh, if you have the courage. We’ll see you for a while.”

About the minimum wage for garment workers, Hasina said, “This time the wage was raised to Tk 12,500. Their wage was increased by 56 percent. What should be their objection now?” asked the premier.

She sought votes for “boat”, the electoral symbol of ruling Awami League, in the upcoming election.

The PM also asked her party leaders and activists to work unitedly for the party’s nominated candidates.

The AL refused a foreign proposal to sell gas abroad before the 2001 national election. That caused her party’s defeat in the polls, the PM said in another event while opening of Ghorashal-Polash Urea Fertiliser Factory.

But BNP leader Khaleda Zia agreed to it and won the polls, she said.

Hasina said had she yielded to the pressure that day Bangladesh would not have seen such an excellent fertiliser factory today.

She said no shortage of urea fertiliser was seen anywhere in the country in the last 15 years thanks to uninterrupted distribution and import of this fertiliser. “Now there is enough stock of the fertiliser.”

Mentioning that the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy is “Friendship to All, Malice towards None,” she said this newly built fertiliser factory is an example of the foreign policy as friendly countries assisted Bangladesh in constructing the large factory.

She said this factory would reduce the country’s dependency on fertiliser imports and create jobs.

The annual production capacity of the environment-friendly fertiliser factory is around 1 million tonnes.

Now the local demand for urea is around 2.6 million tonnes annually.

The PM also had a tour of the factory.