As her arch rival vowed to continue the national blockade “till our demands are met”, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday voiced her confidence of tackling ongoing political situationn. She also warned that Khaleda Zia will have to pay the price for her “political mistakes” of not joining the last year’s general election.
“Why should the nation and the common people pay for that [Khaleda’s mistakes]? It’s she who will have to pay dearly, not the people,” the Prime Minister said on Thursday while addressing the Biennial Conference of the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA). Ms. Hasina said the BNP chief’s blockade has been causing “arsons and killings — nothing else”. She also alleged that the BNP activists are acting “the way Jamaat men do.”
Defending the last year’s Jan. 5 general election boycotted by Khaleda Zia’s party, Ms. Hasina said “had the election not taken place, then there could have been state of emergency again or any unconstitutional system”.
As the second day of the nationwide transport blockade continued on Thursday amidst sporadic violence and clashes, mostly outside Dhaka, the BNP Chairperson called upon supporters to continue the blockade “until further directives”.
