Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday blasted Bangladesh’s comparisonwith Pakistan saying Chief Justice SK Sinha should have quit before making such comparison and defaming parliament while issuing a strong note warning against illegal power capture. “I will tell one word that everything could be tolerated, but comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan cannot be acceptable,” she told a function coinciding with the anniversary of the August 21, 2004 grenade attack.
Sheikh Hasina sought people to judge the comparison with Pakistan posing a question why”Bangladesh would be compared with Pakistan and Pakistani premier.””There would be no benefit in giving me such a threat,” she said. The premier said usurping state power would not be allowed further in Bangladesh and “if anybody tries to do it he or she must face trial according to Article 7 of the constitution”.
The premier said the verdict scrapping the 16th constitutional amendment contained many contradictions while the Chief Justice raised question about electing women parliament members in the reserved seats. According to parliamentary system, she said, the President is elected by the parliament members including women lawmakers, while the President appoints the chief justice. She said if the women lawmakers are not elected then how the President would be elected.
“When you (chief justice) make criticism in this regard, then you will have to accept other . . . so you should have stepped down before making such a comment,” she said. The discussion at the Krishibid Institution was joined by cabinet members, PM’s advisors, senior Awami League and 14-party leaders and family members of the martyrs and those injured in the August 21 grenade attack. Twenty-four people including the then president of Awami Mohila and late President Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman, were killed and over 500 others suffered splinter injuries in the barbaric attack and many of them became crippled for life. The attack was carried out at an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League (AL) at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital on August 21 in 2004 visibly aiming to wipe out the party leadership during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack but sustained hearing impairment due to the impact of the repeated grenade blasts near the truck-dais of the huge public rally.
Earlier, the premier paid homage to the martyrs of the August 21 carnage by placing floral wreaths on a makeshift memorial in front of the Krishibid Institution. She first placed a wreath at the memorial and then another, flanked by leaders of Awami League, as president of the party.
Earlier, a minute’s silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memories of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other martyrs of the August 15 carnage, the four national leaders and the martyrs of the August 21 massacre. AL Advisory Council Members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, Presidium Members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Syed Ashraful Islam and General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Bangladesh Tariqat Federation President Alhaj Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President and Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu, JSD Executive President Moinuddin Khan Badal, Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua, AL Organizing Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, eminent writer Imdadul Haque Milon spoke on the occasion.
AL Publicity Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmood and Deputy Publicly Secretary Aminul Islam Amin conducted the meeting.
