DHAKA, April 19 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said BNP had initiated the culture of secret killing as well as corruption with sacks full of money in the country.
"It is the BNP governments who initiated culture of killing and secret killing as well as corruption of sacks stuffed with money. It also destroyed the character of politics," she said while addressing a discussion on the occasion of the 40th founding anniversary of Bangladesh Krishak League at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The Prime Minister also said BNP always tries to shifting its own responsibility to others in a tricky manner by killing partymen by themselves. In this connection she mentioned the example of killing of business magnet Jamaluddin of Chittagong.
Referring to the disappearance of BNP leader M Ilyas Ali, she said, "I know the pain of losing near and dear ones. I have sent the home minister and inspector general of police to the residence of the missing BNP leader to probe the incident."
Sheikh Hasina said past BNP governments during their rules killed numerous number of Awami League leaders and workers after kidnapping them from their houses. "But we did not take any revenge as the AL does not believe in the politics of revenge," she said adding "the aim of the Awami League is to build country through thought, spirit and merit."
About the resignation of Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta, the Prime Minister said he has set an example in the country by tendering his resignation voluntarily after his APS was found with Taka 70 lakh. She said as the present government believes in transparency, Suranjit Sen Gupta made voluntary resignation from his post.
She said investigation into the Taka 70 lakh cash scandal of the minister's APS is underway and results will be known after the probe who is guilty who is not.
Criticizing reports published in some newspapers, Shekh Hasina said a minister remains in the post until the Prime Minister accepts his or her resignation and the President put signature on the resignation letter. "We made Suranjit minister without portfolio as we did not accept his resignation from the post of railway minister," she said
The Prime Minister said that due to the corruption of the then BNP-led four-party alliance government, the World Bank had to stop funding for nine projects in communication and power sectors. The country was turned into a den of corruption during their rule from 2001 to 2006, she said
Sheikh Hasina said the opposition leader is now vocal against corruption, but she (Khaleda Zia) whitened her black money. She also asked to look further into the income tax file of Khaleda Zia.
Mentioning that corruption, terrorism and extremism are the creation of BNP, she said those creation would eat themselves.
The Prime Minister underscored the innovation of time befitting and sustainable agri technologies to produce more foodgrains on limited lands. "The demand for agriculture products is increasing day by day. So we have to produce more foodgrains on limited lands to meet the rising demand," she said.
Terming agriculture sector as one of the main driving forces in the country's development, Sheikh Hasina also stressed the need for reaching agri inputs to the farmers timely as well as ensuring fair prices of the agri produces.
To this end, she said, every worker of Krishak League will have to work in the rural areas sincerely side by side with strengthening the organization at grassroots level.
Sheikh Hasina also urged the Krishak League workers to always remain beside the farmers during their happiness and sorrow.
Highlighting various government steps for the development of the agriculture sector, she said her government is giving attention to the development of the rural economy. "We also remain active how to create more employment opportunities in the rural areas," she added.
She said her government has worked massively for uplift of agriculture side by side with overall development of the country in the last three years. As a result, she said, poverty has reduced to 30 percent due to poor-friendly programmes.
Sheikh Hasina said per capita income has increased to 830 US dollars and purchasing capacity of the people has gone up.
The Prime Minister said 3,500 MW electricity has been added to the national grid in the last three years, while the country witnessed 6.7 percent GDP growth and 41 percent export growth in the last fiscal year despite the global economic recession.
She said her previous government inherited 26 lakh MT food deficit when it assumed office in 1996. But her government made the country self reliant in food with 40 lakh MT of food surplus. For this UN Food and Agriculture Organization awarded her with Ceres Award, she said.
Sheikh Hasina regretted that the past BNP-Jamaat alliance government turned Bangladesh into a food-deficit country during their rule from 2001-2006.
The Prime Minister said after taking office this time, the government has brought the prices of fertilizers with the reach of the farmers by cutting its prices thrice. We have been supplying uninterrupted electricity in the rural areas during the boro season in the last three years.
As a result of various pragmatic steps of the government, she said, the country produced a record 3.20 crore MT foodgrains in the last fiscal. "Our aim is to achieve food autarky by 2013 and keep it up," she said.
With Krishak League President Dr Mirja Jalil in the chair, the discussion was also addressed, among others, by Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry Advocate Rahmat Ali, AL Organizing Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Krishak League General Secretary Motahar Hossain.
