...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia show such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as the Battling Begums..
yesterday said the wrath of the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir cronies would not continue further as they would have to answer to the people one day for their acts of violence in their bid to foil the last parliament election.
Reaffirming her government's strong commitment, she said there would not be any place for terrorism and militancy on the soil of Bangladesh.
"Their [BNP-Jamaat-Shibir] wrath will not continue further as there will be no place for terrorism and militancy on the sacred soil of Bangladesh. Inshallah! We will ensure peace and security of the people," the premier told a huge public rally at Shah Abdul Hamid Stadium in Gaibandha.
Turning to the January 5 poll, the Awami League president said BNP Chairperson
Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
had tried forcefully to stop the poll by unleashing terrorist attacks on police, presiding officers, voters, damaging polling centres.
But she failed to stop voting as the people had cast their votes "with a turnout of 40 to 45% not responding to her call."
Citing the incidents of violence unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat "hooligans" in Gaibandha district over the last few months, she said the local people did not want to see terrorism, conflict and militancy anymore.
Hundreds of tress felled, roads were cut and a number educational institutions selected as polling centres were razed, she said.
Hasina also came down harsh on the BNP chief for having several birthdays, particularly on August 15 the day when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members in had been assassinated in 1975.
"Can you imagine, how sick she is!" said Hasina, one of the two survivors of that incident.
The three-time premier assured the people of improving their life standard through a number of programmes her government would take.
The initiatives include building at least a tin-shed house for all, introducing ferry service on the Balashi-Bahadurabad river route and a railway bridge, if possible, after feasibility study. She also said her government would set up mills and factories through establishing Special Economic Zone in this region as well as construct houses free of cost for the landless and homeless people in Gaibandha.
Hasina said it would be made a science- and technology-based educated nation when power supply would reach every house. She said computer education would be made compulsory at primary level.
Gaibandha district AL organised the rally with its acting president and Administrator of district council Syed Shamsul Alam Hiru in the chair. Health Minister Md Nasim, AL leaders Abdur Razzaque, Faruk Khan and Fazle Rabbi Mia, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam, Mahbub Ara Guinea, and NAP central leader Lutfur Rahman Ranju also spoke at the rally.
Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of a number of development projects from the rally venue.