Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was addressing in a public meeting organised by the Khulna chapter of Awami League at Circuit House Maidan.

Khulna, Mar 3 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said BNP leader Khaleda Zia is now in jail for her corruption and Awami League has nothing to do with it, reports the UNB.

‘Khaleda Zia committed corruption…the court has announced its verdict and she’s in jail according to the verdict…Awami League has nothing to do with it, we’ve nothing to do,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing a public meeting organised by the Khulna chapter of Awami League at Circuit House Maidan.

She said whoever the criminals are they have to face punishment. ‘If anyone commits corruption he or she has to face punishment.’

Chaired by Khulna Zila Parishad chairman Sheikh Harun-Ur-Rashid, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Khulna City AL president Talukder Khaleq, MP, AL joint secretaries Mahbubul Alam, MP, Dr Dipu Moni, MP, former BGMEA president Salam Murshedy, Sheikh Helal Uddin, MP and AL joint secretary Jahangir Kabir Nana.

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

Hasina said the aim of her government is to ensure the country’s development as Awami League believes in development. ‘And what were the BNP activities? They had unleashed terrorism and militancy, killed people, burnt people alive,’ she said adding that they had established a reign of terror in the country when they were in power from 2001.

Hasina, also the chief of the ruling party, said the government eliminated militancy with an iron hand after coming to power in 2009. ‘I’ll 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 remain vigil so that the youths of the country never get any chance to contact with militancy, terrorism and drugs.

The Prime Minister said Awami League wants peace and development of the country.

‘We want to develop the country, but what does the BNP-Jamaat clique want to do?’ she questioned.

She mentioned the BNP-Jamaat nexus, in the name of going to power, burnt people to death alive.

Hasina urged all to cast their votes in favour of ‘Boat’, the electoral symbol of Awami League, in the next general election, which will be held by this year, for the continuation of the development of the country.

The PM said Bangladesh has already entered the lower middle-income group and will be graduated from the LDC group very soon. ‘Our target is to step into the middle-income group by 2021 and in the developed one by 2041,’ she added.