PM chastises advocates of fresh JS election

"A particular section of the elite and intellectuals is shedding crocodile tears to bring BNP to the Jatiya Sangsad. But, BNP's parliament members in the ninth parliament were present only for 17/18 days, out of total 418 workings days," she said.

The Prime Minister said the BNP-Jamaat, while in power, pushed the country to a complete devastation. "Their game was not over. Now a section of people wants BNP in the parliament."

Sheikh Hasina, also President of Awami League, said this in a discussion organized by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) marking the 94th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.

Sheikh Hasina said, the elite section, in fear of BNP cadres, maintained complete silence when BNP-Jamaat hooligans ruined the country after 2001 election.

"Taking advantage of social peace and freedom of speech, they have opened up basket of their knowledge now," she said.

AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury presided over the meeting while party's advisory council members Tofail Ahmed and Amir Hossain Amu, presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury and Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Joint Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, general secretary of AL Dhaka city unit Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof. A K Azad Chowdhury took part in the discussion among others.

The Prime Minister said, Bangabandhu was born to free the Bengali nation from deprivation, poverty and subjugation. Bangabandhu started his early age with struggle against British rulers. Later, he joined in the movement for Pakistan.

But, due to deprivation of Pakistani rulers, Bangabandhu launched movement for self-determination of Bengali people to free them from all exploitation and dependence, she said, adding during the days of struggle he passed his every moment either in jail or torture.

Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said,Bangabandhu never deviated from his duties. He freed himself from all family bindings and devoted his whole life for the cause of the toiling masses, she said, adding, Bangabandhu never hesitated to take risk of life to achieve freedom of Bangalee nation.

The Prime Minister said, Bangabandhu ignited the spirit of freedom in people, imbued them for freedom and finally difficult task of establishing a free state for them. There is no nook and corners in the country where Bangabandhu didn't put his mark to organize the party and sow the seed of freedom in people's mind, she said.

Pointing out the farsightedness of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina said, Bangabandhu had placed six-point demand which ultimate objective was to achieve freedom of the nation.

Sheikh Hasina said, Bangabandhu had decided to go for election in 1970 out of his deep faith in the people that they would certainly elect Awami League.

"With the mandate of the people, Sheikh Hasina said, Bangabandhu wanted to achieve freedom in peaceful way.Simultaneously, he had had the preparation of war against the rulers if they wouldn't have agreed to give freedom to Bangalee nation," she said, adding Bangabandhu's non-cooperation movement was also a unique and extraordinary struggle of common masses against the colonial rulers.

Highlighting the significance of Bangabandhu's return to the newly liberated Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said, country's independence would have been uncompleted if Bangabandhu wouldn't have returned from Pakistani jail.

Bangabandhu had taken all possible steps for rebuilding a new born country within three years of his regime. "Our national anthem was approved by the cabinet on January 13, 1972, only after three days of his return to motherland," she said.

She said, the anti-liberation force could never think that Bangladesh would never be liberated, exist as an independent nation and the then leaders would be able to run the country efficiently.

As the country was moving ahead under the leadership of Bangabandhu, the anti-liberation force along with ultra-left political parties and underground parties forge unity to dislodge his government. Instead of extending cooperation with the new government to rebuild the country, they had started creating obstacles in every step, she said.

"Despite all barriers, Bangabandhu took forward the country, which the anti-liberation force could not accept. They killed eight elected representatives of Awami League and occurred incidents in every moments, They came with the final blow on August 15, 1975, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, after killing of Bangabandhu, Ziaur Rahman usurp to power as the master of the anti-liberation force.

"Zia was a freedom fighter in name only. Actually he was the agent of the anti-liberation force," she said.

"Ziaur Rahman destroyed the spirit of the constitution, derailed the country from the spirit of the secularism and pushed back the country from the ideology with whom Bangladesh was born," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, since its assumption to power in 1996 with people's mandate, is making relentless efforts to materialize the dream of Bangabandhu to reach benefit of independence to every house.

To achieve the goal, she urged the party leaders and workers to take oath to this end.