Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to stop trying to save the war criminals by announcing hartals and siding with them.

“Do not play with the fate of the people," she said. “You [Khaleda] and your husband tried but in vain to save the killers of Bangabandhu.”

“I can firmly say no one will be able to stop the trial of war criminals. They will be executed on this soil," she told a rally in the AR Hawlader Jute Mill ground here.

Hasina, also the president of ruling Awami League, criticised the

opposition leader's stance on the war crimes trial.

“It is unfortunate that the leader of the opposition stood against the people's aspirations.... When the whole country is raising its voice for the trial of war criminals, she (Khaleda] is favouring the war criminals,” she mentioned.

Jamaat and Shibir can enforce hartals as they do not believe in the independence of the country. But how can the opposition leader call a hartal when the SSC examinations are underway, ques-

tioned the prime minister.

Khaleda Zia has isolated herself from the people by not paying any heed to the people's voice, noted Hasina.

She urged the opposition leader to listen to the demands of the people and stand by them.

The prime minister castigated Khaleda's recent visit to Singapore, saying that the trip was aimed at hatching a plot to foil the trial of the war criminals.

“We liberated the country by sacrificing blood. I can assert that there will be no room for razakars, Al-

Badr and Al-Shams on this soil,” she said.

JAMAAT DOESN'T BELIEVE IN ISLAM

Blasting Jamaat-Shibir, the prime minister said they do not believe in Islam, rather they believe in the ideology of Jamaat founder Abu Ala Moududi.

“Can any Muslim desecrate a mosque, humiliate an imam and burn a prayer mat in the mosque?" she asked.

Jamaat and Shibir, said the AL chief, had killed people in 1971 and they are still resorting to killings, looting and arson.

Hasina mentioned that

her government has taken action against those who have profaned Hazrat Muhammad (SM) and will do the same in future. “We never tolerated any disgraceful comments about our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) and we will not allow them [Jamaat-Shibir] now.”

The prime minister laid the foundation stones of the Seventh Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge (Kazirtek bridge) on the Arial Kha and three other bridges.

Regarding the local demand for an international airport, the premier

said the government will examine the economic viability of the airport on this side of the Padma and decide accordingly.

AL leaders Shahajahan Khan, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Ahmed Hossain spoke, among others.

PADMA BRIDGE WITH OWNFUND

Inaugurating the river training work of the Padma bridge project near the Jazira site at East Naodoba of Shariatpur, the prime minister said the bridge would be constructed with local funds. The government will allocate Tk 20,000 crore in four years

for constructing the bridge.

Besides, negotiations have been going on with several countries including Malaysia over financing the project, she added.

The construction of the main bridge will follow the construction of the approach roads within a few months, noted Hasina.

The government, she said, has enough foreign exchange reserves and there will be no negative impact on the economy if the bridge is built with own funds.

Conspiracies were hatched from the very beginning of the mega project, but the government has dealt with all of them, she maintained.

The AL chief urged people to vote for her party in the next general election to continue the development projects.

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader and Deputy Speaker Col (retd) Shawkat Ali spoke, among others.