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Crossfire is a new pretext to kill people

Hasina accuses Khaleda of resorting to state terrorism

Staff Correspondent
Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday accused Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of effecting 'state terrorism' by a special force that has been 'killing people without trial'.
"Nobody has given her (prime minister) the licence to kill people without trial," Hasina said expressing fear that the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will soon be used
againsthcrpartymen.
Hasina, also president of Awami League (AL), was addressing a huge rally at Paltan Maidan in thecity.The rally was organised to mark the Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujlbur Rahman from the Pakistani prison after independence.
"We want to make it clear that everybody has tire right to seek justice even if he is a criminal and
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what the government is doing now is nothing but gross violations of human rights," said the AL chief adding, "Crossfire is a new pretext forkilling people."
"Some four lakh false cases have been filed against the Awami League activists throughout the country since the present government took office in 2001.
"The Rab men would soon start killing our people and the slayings would be justified by these false cases," she said.
Amid tight security measures taken by the government, yesterday's rally was held peacefully. Thousands of people from different parts of the capital, adjacent districts and elsewhere in the country joined the rally. They carried banners, placards and posters inscribed with various antigovernment slogans.
Referring to the capital punishment of notorious Ershad Sikder, Hasina claimed that her government ensured punishment of the criminals through justice and with the help of regular law enforcing forces like police and BDR.
She said the prime minister does not have any confidence in armed forces and different other law enforcing agencies and that is why she resorts to the special force.
"The Rab has already killed over 200 people in the name of crossfire. But the force remains mysteriously silent to armed cadres loyal to Jamaat-e-Islami," she added.
Referring to the August 21 grenade attack, she asked the prime minister why has not any of the culprits behind the attack been arrested even after over four months oftheincident.
Hasina spoke on various other issues including price hike of essentials, 'politicisation of the administration and the judiciary', food crisis, and 'corruption by the prime minister’sfamily'.
Accusing the government of
patronising the killers of Bangabandhu she said BNP-Jaamat-led regime had even issued a backdated passport for Colonel (retired) Noor so that he could stay abroad withoutany hassle.
Urging the people to join the ongoing movement to oust the government, the leader of the opposition in parliament said, "There is hardly any sense of security among the people and they no longer want the coalition government to be in power."
Hasina also congratulated the members of Bangladesh Cricket team on winning their maiden Test victory.
Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Obaidul Quader, Mohammad Hanif and Abdul Mannan, among others, addressed the rally.