...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide...yesterday alleged that carrying out killings, conspiracies and indulging in corruption were the characters of BNP.
"BNP had gifted the nation grenades, Bangla Bhai and snuffies during its previous rule," she told a rally at Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur.
Hasina alleged that the then BNP government had killed people in the name of 'Operation Clean Heart' and made many people crippled. "But we didn't take any measures out of vengeance. We've engaged all our efforts for the development of the country," she said.
The Awami League president said the present government had ensured food security, education for all and also arranged higher education through the Education Trust Fund.
Accusing the BNP of adopting the 'policy of begging' and making the country and its people dependent on others, Hasina said: "Awami League works to make people self-dependent without taking support from others and let them march ahead with heads held high."
She alleged that the then BNP government had 'arbitrarily stopped' operation of mills and factories including jute mills, and "fuelled high inflation and brought miseries for the farmers".
On the contrary, the prime minister claimed that her present government was reopening the closed mills and factories, and providing fertilisers to the farmers at lower prices.
About electricity, the prime minister said that the BNP government had 'looted public money' in the name of power generation. "We had left 4300 megawatts of electricity generation, but the subsequent BNP government brought it down to 3200 megawatts," claimed Hasina.
Assuming office this time, she said the present government added nearly 3800 MW over the last three and a half years, and ensured power supply in the mills and factories to keep the wheels of production running.
Hasina said her government was working to bring financial solvency for the people. "We've brought down the poverty rate to 31 percent, showing a decline of 10 percent."