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Ensure power, water or quit: Khaleda

Power sector graft began under previous AL rule, became acute under last CG, she says

Staff Correspondent
Leader of the Opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday asked the prime minister to step down if she cannot ensure proper supply of gas. power and water and provide jobs, which were the Awami League’s election pledges.
"Please quit power if you fail to fulfil your pledges in time. Do not force the people to bring your government down," Khaleda said, pointing to political rival Hasina, while addressing a rally at Paltan Maidan on the occasion of May Day.
Addressing the huge crowd, she said, "We
will fight in both parliament and the street for your problems and we will protest all wrongdoings." BNP's labourers wing Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal organised the rally.
Khaleda alleged that the government is plotting to bring foreign troops to the country in the name of combating militancy although there is no militancy in the country at present since all militants were arrested and brought under trial during BNP's rule.
"We arrested all militants during our rule and punished them. But the government is nowcreat-ingpanic using the name of militancy," she said.
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Several hundred leaders, workers and supporters of BMP and its associate organisations attended the rally, apparently the first showdown since the December 29 election debacle, amid stringent security measures. They came to the venue in processions and chanted slogans against the government.
Rejecting all allegations of corruption against her and the 'p'rfet'ibuS BNP government. Khaleda blamed the Awami League government and the last caretaker government for the ongoing "chaotic" situation in the country.
She threw challenges to archrival Hasina, asking her to prove the Tk 20 thousand crore corruption in the power and energy sectors during BNP's rule as Hasina said at her Friday rally at Paltan Maidan.
"Corruption started during the Awami League government and it reached the highest level during the caretaker government," she said, adding that maximum irregularities have taken place during the latter's tenure.
The former prime minister claimed that corruption was reduced after BNP assumed power and success came in all sectors including investment, production and employment. "But many BNP leaders and workers have been arrested in the name of corruption and on false propaganda against BNP" she said.
During her about 50-minute speech, Khaleda bitterly criticised the last caretaker government for "destroying" the country's image and "hatching conspiracy" to render the country dysfunctional. She also criticised it for price hike of essentials and claimed that rice price was only Tk 16-17 during her rule.
Refuting Hasina's Friday claim that the previous BNP government could not generate single megawatt of electricity, Khaleda said her government added 1.280MW of power to the national grid. She lambasted Hasina for giving false information and making confusing statements.
The BNP chairperson alleged that the government could not give people any-thino in the last four months and has rather created problems in every sector.
'Politicisation is going on across the country...Even government employees cannot perform their duties prop erly...Universities and medical colleges have closed one after another, teachers assaulted. Is this the digital Bangladesh'
you dreamt of? Is this the charter of change?" Khaleda said, pointing to Hasina.
"They (ruling party) have killed 100 leaders and workers of BNP and wounded about 30,000," she said. "How will those, who cannot control their own activists, run the country and ensure people's security?"
Khaleda said the ruling party confused the people by making false pledges before ‘t^e ^lettioh ■ amt’ now" they want to impose their failure on to the opposition's shoulder. "The government is firing employees instead of giving jobs to at least one person of each family of the country," she said.
"Someone wanted to banish me from the country and now someone wants to oust me from my house. You all know about the torture on my family members and myself but in any situation we will be beside the people," she said.
Khaleda also criticised the PM for her role regarding the BDR incident. She said time was extended for submitting investigation report only to protect the real conspirators.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, city Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and party-leaders Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Hannan Shah, MK Anwar, Abdullah Al Noman, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Selima Rahman, among others, addressed the rally with Sramik Dal President Nazrul Islam Khan in the chair.