Bangladesh News

Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged voters not to vote for the corrupt people, black money holders and patrons of terrorists and militants in the next parliamentary election.

“Soon after assuming power, the BNP-Jamaat coalition government looted crores of taka and siphoned off the money abroad which are now being revealed one after another,” said the AL chief pointing finger to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s son Arafat Rahman Koko who, according to the Anti-corruption Commission, has foreign currencies worth around Tk 11.43 crore deposited in a Singapore bank.

Hasina addressed several election rallies in the country’s southwestern part before returning to the capital ending her four-day election campaign there.

Urging people to vote for honest candidates in the polls, the AL chief said now it is time to take a firm stance against corruption and terrorism.

She also pledged to protect the country from terrorism and militancy and build a developed and secular Bangladesh free from poverty and hunger.

The AL president addressed election rallies on Narail Govt Victoria College ground, Bhagharpara Charbhita High School ground in Jessore-4 constituency, Jessore Eidgah ground, Naldanga Bhusan Pilot High School in Kaliganj upazila and Uzir Ali High School ground in Jhenidah, Magura Adarsha College ground, Modhukhali Eidgah ground and Faridpur Govt Rajendra College ground and Goalanda intersection in Rajbari.

She also introduced AL-led grand alliance candidates at the rallies.

A huge number of people gathered at her election rallies in the six districts –Narail, Jessore, Jhenidah, Magura, Faridpur and Rajbari.

Hasina also joined election rallies in two constituencies in Manikganj and sought vote for the first time for ‘plough’, the electoral symbol of Jatiya Party, a component of the AL-led grand alliance.

Addressing a huge rally on Jessore Eidgah ground, Hasina said some people became rich overnight looting public money during the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government.

About Tk 20,000 crore was misappropriated in power sector alone during their tenure, she said.

The AL chief also alleged that BNP plotted election engineering in the stalled 22 January polls through inclusion of over one crore fake voters in the voter’s list.

“Since she [Khaleda] failed to do that she now seems sad and angry about the upcoming election,” she said.

Hasina also thanked the caretaker government and the army for preparing an authentic voter list.

She however criticised the government for failing to check the price hike of essentials.

The former premier said people have been suffering because of price spiral of food items for the last seven years.

People belonging to mid-income group now can support their families for 15 days with their monthly income while day labourers cannot afford two square meals a day.

“If we are voted to power, we shall bring down the price of essentials and generate more power to ensure electricity supply in every village,” Hasina said.

“Now it is your [people] turn to elect the right people to save the country by casting vote for boat,” said the AL president hoping that people would rise again in the December 29 polls the way they did during Liberation War in 1971 responding to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Addressing two rallies in Jessore, the AL chief pledged to take initiatives to resolve the problem of water logging in different areas including Bhabadah in the southern districts.

She also pledged to modernise the Benapol port and also the Mongla port through construction of a deep seaport there.

At an election rally in Narail, Hasina promised to build a bridge over the Madhumati river to facilitate communication between Gopalganj and Narail.

Hasina, accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and Rehana’s daughter Azmina Siddique Ruponti left the capital on December 16 for conducting election campaign outside the capital.