PM blasts those tarnishing Bangladesh’s image abroad

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday came down heavily on those who are tarnishing the image of Bangladesh abroad.

“Some people, staying abroad, criticise and tarnish the image of the country. As we’ve elevated the country to a dignified position with our hard work, now their business is to undermine the country,” she said.

The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a civic reception arranged by the US Awami League at New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott hotel.

“Some people call the Awami League government an illegal one. But my question is how do they get the scope to utter those words (criticise the government)? They’ve got the scope as we’ve built Bangladesh as ‘Digital Bangladesh’,” she said.

“If they’re the people of principles and if they’ve any ideology, why do they use the digital systems we’ve built?” she said, adding that they criticise the government receiving money from BNP and Jamaat.

Sheikh Hasina said the High Court declared the governments of Ziaur Rahman and Ershad as illegal ones because they had formed their governments imposing martial laws.

Besides, Ziaur Rahman’s wife is convicted for embezzlement of orphans’ money and her son (Tarique Rahman) is convicted in the 10 truck arms haul case and the August 21 grenade attack case, she said.

“Even information about their corruption was revealed by the FBI in the United States.”

She said they (BNP) have made so much illegal wealth by embezzling the money of the people of Bangladesh that they hired an FBI man which was later revealed by the FBI.

In that case, Hasina said, it was disclosed that BNP provided money to kidnap and kill Joy (Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed) in the USA. “But now they call Awami League (govt) illegal,” the prime minister added.

People cast votes for the Awami League and then the party was elected with their votes, she said, adding that BNP will join the election if it has such strength and courage (to win the polls).

Talking about the elections held under the BNP regimes, she said Khaleda Zia had arranged the February 15 general election in 1996 with other political parties boycotting it, and people did not cast votes for them.

“Since people didn’t vote for them, they couldn’t survive in power.”