Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said BNP chief Khaleda Zia is now behind bars for corruption and the Awami League has nothing to do with it.

“Khaleda Zia committed corruption...the court has announced its verdict and she is in jail in line with the judgment.... Awami League has nothing to do with it; we have nothing to do,” she said. 

Hasina was addressing a public rally, organised by Khulna AL, at the Circuit has nothing to do with it; we have nothing to do,” she said. 

Hasina was addressing a public rally, organised by Khulna AL, at the Circuit House Maidan in the city. 

She said the aim of her government is to ensure the country's development as her party believes in development.

“And what were the BNP's activities? They had unleashed terrorism and militancy, killed people and burnt people alive,” she said, alleging that the party had established a reign of terror in the country from 2001. 

Hasina, also the AL chief, said the government eliminated militancy with an iron hand after coming to power in 2009. “I will urge you all to remain alert so that militancy and terrorism cannot raise their ugly heads again.”  

She called upon all, including parents, teachers and imams, to keep vigil so that the country's youths never get any chance to get in touch with militancy, terrorism and drugs. 

The PM urged all to vote for “boat”, the electoral symbol of the AL, in the next general election for the continuation of the country's development. 

The next parliamentary election is scheduled to be held in December this year.

Hasina said Bangladesh has already entered the lower middle-income country category and would graduate from the LDC group very soon.

“Our target is to step into the middle-income category by 2021 and into the developed category by 2041,” she said.

Khulna city AL President Talukder Abdul Khaleque, AL joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Dipu Moni and former BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy spoke at the programme, chaired by Khulna Zila Parishad Chairman Sheikh Harun-ur-Rashid. 

Earlier, the premier opened 48 development projects and laid the foundation stones of 52 others.

'BE MORE PROACTIVE'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged engineers to play a more proactive role with professional competence, honesty and sincerity in implementing the government's development plans.

“The main responsibility of implementing the government's development activities is entrusted with you.”

The PM was speaking at the 58th Convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IE,B) in Khalishpur of Khulna.

She called upon the engineers to devote themselves to the development of innovative strategies and technologies to invent alternative energy, energy efficient technology and low-cost homes considering the country's resource constraints.

Hasina said Bangladesh's position has improved in the world corruption index as the government took various steps to eliminate graft.

“After coming to power in 2009, the government tried to eliminate corruption from Bangladesh. The country has now got its recognition as it has advanced two steps in removing corruption.”

During the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat government, Bangladesh had “topped the world corruption index for five consecutive years”, she told the programme.

The premier said the government has taken steps to make sure that rule of law could be established. “We have taken proper steps so that people can get benefits of rule of law.”

The government, she said, has taken various measures against militancy, terrorism and drug abuse.

Transparency International recently said Bangladesh has progressed by two positions in its Corruption Perception Index. The country ranked 143rd out of 180 in the ascending order and 17th in the descending order on the list.

According to the Berlin-based organisation, Bangladesh scored 28 on a scale of 0 to 100.

Hasina also urged the engineers to give importance to environment-friendly infrastructure and technologies used to minimise losses of earthquake and disasters to make development works sustainable.

She assured the IE,B of extending all kinds of support.

The premier also conferred AMIE degree on 97 successful students of the engineering professional course.

IE,B General Secretary Abdus Sabur and its Khulna centre Chairman Abdullah Sadik, among others, addressed the programme, with organisation President Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan in the chair.