Rajshahi: Criticising BNP leaders for their movement to have their party chief Khaleda Zia released, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said if their movement is for the thief who has landed in jail for plundering money.

‘Today, BNP leaders are carrying out a movement. For what is this movement? Their leader has landed in jail for looting money. Is the movement for the thief?’ she said while addressing a public rally at Rajshahi Government Alia Madrasah Maidan in the city, reports the UNB.

‘She (Khaleda) is enduring the punishment today as she couldn’t provide orphans the money to orphans that came for them in the last 27 years,’ the Prime Minister said.

Where the orphanage is, how many orphans are there and have the orphans got a single penny? said Hasina adding that BNP could not answer to these questions.

Sheikh Hasina said the money was brought from abroad for setting up an orphanage in 1991, but they embezzled it resorting to anomalies.

‘Looting and stealing are their characters. Bangladesh was the world champion in corruption index for five consecutive years when BNP was in power,’ he said.

Seeking vote for ‘Boat’, the election symbol of Awami League, in the next parliamentary elections and upcoming elections to local bodies, the AL chief said her government is developing the country and this trend of development will continue. ‘We’ll make the country prosperous and free from hunger.’

Hasina said when AL comes to power, the country sees development, but BNP indulges in looting when it comes to power. ‘If anyone fails to contain greed of plundering orphans’ money, what will he or she do for the country?’ she added.

AL Rajshahi district and city units jointly arranged the rally with AL Rajshahi city unit president AHM Khairuzzaman Liton in the chair.