PM's talks offer nothing but farce: Hasina
Unb, Dhaka
Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina spurned Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's proposal for discussion with political parties aiming to stop bombings and terrorism, saying that it's nothing but a farce.She also rejected Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami's claim that his party has no link with the militants. In a post-hartal press statement yesterday, Hasina questioned the prime minister's sincerity about combating terrorists. She deplored that the prime minister refrained from taking any action even after the ruling-party MPs claimed that a section of the alliance government is involved in Islamist militancy. "After this, the prime minister must drive out terrorists from her own party first," said Hasina, also the chief of the Awami League (AL). She said instead of taking action against those within her party, "the prime minister is taking action against those who are speaking against militants". Accusing the government of harbouring extremists, Hasina contended that there was no bomb attack on the eve of the Saarc summit in Dhaka, but a day after the summit, two judges were killed in a bomb attack, and since then the spate of bomb attacks continues unabated. On Wednesday's High Court ruling, she said the court issued a rule on the government for failing to curb extremists. The government was asked to submit a progress report on investigation into bomb blast cases. Earlier, she noted, the High Court in a verdict stated that Ziaur Rahman had ruled the country after 'grabbing power illegally'. The Awami League chief said the main accused in the Udichi blast case is now a minister. The alliance government has suspended all bomb blast cases, including those of Ramna Batamul, Baniachar of Gopalganj and Narayanganj. "BNP ministers and MPs recommended release of convict Mufti Hannan who wanted to kill me by planting 76-kg explosives in Kotalipara. On the Augus-21 grenade attack on Awami League rally, Hasina said the attack was launched to kill her. But the investigation turned into a "farce". This shows that "the BNP-Jamaat government is encouraging terrorists and militants", she alleged. The opposition leader called for unseating the alliance government for establishing a "people's government" to ensure security of public life.
| 
