PM blames BNP-Jamaat

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday alleged that the BNP-Jamaat has resorted to a new trick -- killing selective people -- as the alliance could not gain anything after killing so many people in broad daylight last year.

"Earlier, they engaged in killings in public and broad daylight but couldn't gain anything. Now they have indulged in secret killings to destabilise the country, destroy its economy and save the war criminals," she said.

The PM was addressing a reception organised in her honour at Tokyo Imperial Hotel by the Bangladeshi community in Japan.

"Innocent people like imams, priests, fathers of churches are killed by the BNP-Jamaat to escalate tension so that the government faces questions abroad."

Hasina said even a former US embassy staff and a USAID official Xulhaz Mannan, who was a pro-Awami League person and also the cousin of former foreign minister Dipu Moni, was killed at his home so that Americans could “raise questions”.

She alleged that the BNP-Jamaat is indulging in such selective killings with an evil motive to create chaos in the country in a bid to stop the trial of war criminals.

The PM said the trial of war criminals is the desire of the people as well as a pledge of her government. She also mentioned her strong conviction that her administration will continue the trial braving various obstacles.

She also accused BNP chief Khaleda Zia of continuing the killing of the country's innocent people for saving war criminals.

Hasina then recalled three months of atrocities what she said was carried out by the BNP-Jamaat last year when “450 people were burnt to death”.

The PM said the BNP chief had announced that she would not return home from her office without ousting the government, but she did after failing to get any public response.

About the resumption of Dhaka-Tokyo Biman flights, the PM said she would look into it on her return home.

Urging the expatriates not to get disappointed, the PM urged them to work with sincerity so that Bangladesh could not be undermined.

She recalled that Japan had always extended its support to Bangladesh's overall development efforts.

Some 500 acres of land will be allotted to Japanese investor for investing and establishing industries in Bangladesh, she said.

She also talked about her government's steps to build 100 special economic zones across the country to attract more foreign investment.

Hasina said the government will set up special economic zones in particular areas considering the availability of raw materials of the localities concerned.

Citing the success of her government in winning maritime boundary cases with India and Myanmar, she sought cooperation of Japan in extracting resources from the huge sea areas as well as more foreign investment to this end.