World News | Main Opposition BNP Cannot Oust the Government by Killing People: Bangladesh PM Hasina
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that the main opposition BNP cannot "oust" her government by killing people.
Dhaka, Dec 13 (PTI) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that the main opposition BNP cannot "oust" her government by killing people.
On Monday, a train was derailed while several trucks and buses were torched amid unrest over the January 7 elections, being boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khalida Zia.
During a meeting with the newly elected committee of the apex Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at her official Gono Bhaban residence, Hasina accused the BNP and its allies of carrying out the attacks ahead of the January 7 general elections.
"Just see what type of movement they are carrying out by killing or burning people," Hasina said.
She added that those who commit such acts deserve punishment, not forgiveness and must be held accountable, according to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.
"They can't oust the government by killing people," she said.
The BNP, however, denying involvement in the attacks, slammed those behind the train derailment.
"This (attack on the train) is undoubtedly an act of sabotage, and I strongly condemn it. Those responsible for such inhumane actions are enemies of humanity," BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said in a virtual statement.
He alleged that an attempt to associate "pro-democracy" groups with the incident was "deeply conspiratorial" and demanded "an impartial judicial inquiry into the incident".
The engine and seven compartments of an inter-district train were toppled from tracks after unidentified people cut off a 20-foot stretch of railway lines in Gazipur on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka.
A passenger was killed while 10 others, including the train's locomotive master, were injured in the incident, said the police, who suspected the act to have links with an ongoing nationwide transport blockade called by the opposition.
"It is an act of sabotage," Gazipur district's Deputy Commissioner or Administrative Chief Shafiqul Islam told reporters.
Those injured were receiving treatment at a government-run hospital in Gazipur, according to fire service officials.
The Election Commission announced the polls schedule on November 15 amid continued political unrest.
Ailing former premier Zia's BNP has repeatedly asserted that no election under the ruling Awami League party would be fair and has demanded the government's resignation to pave the way for an interim non-party neutral government for polls oversight.
Political violence in the country has so far killed at least six people, including a policeman.
According to media reports, over 10,000 opposition leaders and activists, including BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, have been arrested in a nationwide crackdown while the main opposition claimed the figure to be as high as 20,000.
The US and other major Western countries called for dialogue between the Awami League and particularly with the BNP to ensure an inclusive and credible election, which has seen no visible headway due to reluctance by both sides.
Bangladesh will deploy the army for 13 days from December 29 to maintain order "in aid of civil power" ahead of the January 7 general elections amid the political unrest.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)