PM Hasina slams Oikya Front over manifesto claim

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has questioned the authenticity of Jatiya Oikya Front’s claim that the government exercised “unimaginable abuse of power” during the last ten years.

The opposition alliance released its manifesto on Monday morning, where its leaders said once elected, they will return ‘the government to the people’. The trial of war criminals from Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War will also continue, it said.  

“Some people don’t notice the changes we made to our country during the last ten years. People’s lives have been improved but they (Oikya Front) call it abuse of power,” Hasina told an event in the afternoon, just few hours after the release of the manifesto.    

“I want to know how this is abuse of power. What are they looking at?” asked the chief of ruling Awami League. 

“I read their manifesto. They are saying they want to change this so-called practice of abuse. I wonder what they mean by change.

“Does change mean bringing back insurgents, giving rise to terrorists like Bangla Bhai, laundering money, topping the list of corrupt countries, making fake voter lists, farce elections and eradication of every development work done by the government?” asked the prime minister. 

“This is the change they want? They did hold power once. This country was liberated 47 years ago. Of these 47 years, 39 years were spent under their rule. What did they do for the people in all the time they had?”      

Hasina claimed the alliance between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami could not help the people but they helped themselves. “The people who never owned anything except broken suitcases became very wealthy. This wealth goes beyond our nation. We keep finding out about their wealth amassed at home and abroad.”     

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