Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday alleged Khaleda Zia is now out on a killing mission assassinating Awami League leaders, activists, writers, publishers and foreigners in her evil bid to tarnish the country’s image aboard.

‘Suffering a political defeat in her efforts to topple the present government through killing people in the name of hartal and blockade, the BNP leader has now engaged in a killing mission for tainting the country’s image,’ she said.

The Prime Minister came up with the allegations while addressing a mammoth public rally organised by the ruling Awami League at the city’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan, marking the Jail Killing Day.

Back in 3 November 1975, four national leaders and heroes of the country's Liberation War­–Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman–were assassinated inside Dhaka Central Jail.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, AL presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, among others, spoke at the rally.

The Prime Minister said: ‘After being defeated politically, the BNP leader went abroad. What’s the conspiracy there? To tarnish the country’s image through killing foreigners, now she has now engaged in assassinations,’ she said.

Hasina said the BNP leader's target is to assassinate AL leaders, activists, writers, publishers and foreigners.

‘Whenever there have been investigations into any killing, it was found that the killers were either engaged in Chhatra Shibir or Chhatra Dal politics during their student lives,’ Hasina said.

The Prime Minister alleged that Khaleda Zia wanted to create a reign of killing in the country just to save war criminals. ‘We’ve started the trial of the war criminals…the trial verdicts are being executed. Khaleda wanted to save these war criminals. That’s why these assassinations are going on, they want to destroy Bangladesh,’ she said.

Hasina, also the President of the ruling Awami League, asserted that no one will be able to resist the economic march forward of the country through killings or any other destructive way.

The Prime Minister said some of the assassins have already been arrested and the rest will also be hunted down. ‘With their statements, the link of these killers, the whereabouts of their seniors and big brothers will also be found out. And they must be punished on the soil of this country.’

The Awami League chief said some quarters are always engaged in conspiracies against the country. ‘They’re trying o establish that there’s IS and terrorism in the country…BNP-Jamaat had unleashed terrorism in the country and Awami League contained that with an iron hand after it returned to power.’

‘Our government is very strict when it comes to terrorism …no one will be speared if one’s link to terrorism is found, no matter who he or she is. ‘We do what we say, we did that and will do that,’ she asserted.

The Prime Minister also briefly described various development activities taken by her government for the overall development of the country. ‘People will never forgive those who will block the country’s march forward. They must face punishment for their evil deeds.’