Opposition out to protect war criminals: Hasina

11 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Unb, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the opposition's threat to the government is intended to protect the war criminals. “They have adopted the same way to protect the war criminals as they did to save the killers of Bangabandhu. Their only task is to protect the offenders,” she told a group of journalists led by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) leaders who called on her at Gono Bhaban yesterday. Hasina deplored that the previous BNP-Jamaat regime has spoiled the journalist community in various ways. The prime minister said the four-party alliance government patronised killers and smugglers. The present crisis in the power sector is the legacy of the previous regimes of BNP and the caretaker government. Hasina said BNP and Ershad regimes had been in power during 29 years of the country's independence and posed question why they did not mind to tackle the problems now facing the nation. Recalling the past, she said former law adviser Barrister Mainul Hussein, also owner of the daily Ittefaq, had formed the political party 'Progosh' with Bangabandhu's killers Maj (retd) Huda and Maj (retd) Shahriar and the daily gave the party wide coverage. And BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia made Col (retd) Rashid opposition leader after the fake elections on Feb 15, 1996, she added. Returning to the vexing power crisis, Hasina said BNP had been in power for five years and the caretaker government two years and people are suffering from problems created by the past regimes. The prime minister said her government has adopted plans to resolve the power crisis but it would take time. Hasina said a section of the media is carrying fabricated reports everyday. She wanted to know from the union leaders of journalists what government response should be to such false and fabricated news. Referring to the statement of Press Club President Shawkat Mahmud who is now an adviser to Khaleda, the prime minister sought views what can be done to bring back discipline to journalism. The prime minister said journalists were more repressed during the BNP-Jamaat rule. BFUJ President Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Secretary General Altaf Mahmud, DUJ President Shah Alamgir and General Secretary Abu Zafar Surjya led the journalists to the meeting.