[Dhaka Tribune] Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all to be united against mindless violence unleashed by the BNP-led 20-party alliance."I urge all conscious people, especially those who believe in the country's Liberation War and independence, to get united against BNP-Jamaat's terrorism and militant acts."
The premier was speaking at an exhibition on countrywide violence at the National Museum in the capital.
Central Publicity and Publication Sub-Committee of ruling Awami League organised the programme with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Political Advisor HT Imam in the chair.
"I ask those, who requested the government to sit with BNP-Jamaat alliance, to tell the BNP leader (Khaleda Zia) to stop burning and killing people."
Several arson victims, their relatives, government ministers, diplomats from India, China, Russia, US, representatives of the European Union and Red Cross, newspapers editors, lawyers, public and private university vice-chancellors, among others, joined the function.
The event titled 'BNP-Jamaat's Arson Violence-Blood Stained Bangladesh' screened a documentary on people burnt in the ongoing countrywide blockade and shutdowns.
The emotion-choked premier several times broke down in tears as the documentary progressed.
Burn victims and their relatives at the discussion described their harrowing tales to the audience.
A somber silence descended upon the audience as Maisha's mother Marufa Begum was narrating the story of the hell she along with her family members had to get through.
Marufa's voice cracked several times because of strong emotion as she described how all the hell broke loose upon her family.
Marufa's daughter Maisha died in an arson attack when she was on her way back home from a Cox's Bazar tour with her father and mother.
In the attack 11 people including Maisha and her father were burnt to death on the spot while 30 other seriously injured. Marufa too received grave burn injury in the petrol bomb attack.
The prime minister addressed the audience after the documentary ended.
Mentioning that her government would do whatever needed to safeguard the lives and property of people, Sheikh Hasina sought cooperation of people to contain the mindless violence of BNP-Jamaat alliance.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president questioned: "If people are killed who Khaleda Zia will do politics for?"
The premier said those who were killed in the arson attack by BNP-Jamaat men are innocent people and should be treated as martyrs.
The BNP-led 20-party alliance has been enforcing an indefinite blockade and intermittent shutdowns since January 06 to press for a snap poll.
As per the government statistics 55 people have been killed in arson and petrol bomb attacks since then with another 556 injured.