Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday reiterated her call to all to stay alert so that war criminals and those who killed innocent people in the name of movement and engaged in money laundering can never return to power.

‘We won’t let anyone play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of Bangladesh...I call upon all so that war criminals, Albadars and Razakars, and those who killed innocent people in the name of movement, engaged in money laundering and looting, and embezzled the funds of orphanage can never get back to power,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said assuming office by these elements means looting, embezzlement of orphanage funds and siphoning off money abroad. ‘So, all have to stay vigil so that those who bring hardship for people can never come to power,’ she said.

The Prime Minister was speaking when leaders of Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL) met her at her official Ganobhaban residence in the afternoon.

Hasina asked each and every leader and activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League, who believes in the ideology of Bangabandhu’s politics, to become patriotic and instill dutifulness into themselves for the welfare of the nation and country.

‘You don’t need to calculate what you’ve gained in your lives, rather consider to what extent you could deliver to people,’ she said asking the BCL leaders and activists to pay due attention to their academic activity as it is also their great duty as students.

Hasina, also the Awami League chief, said she wants each and every BCL leader and activist to groom himself and herself as an ideal leader and thus move ahead upholding the ideals of Bangabandhu.

‘You are the future leaders...we don’t want to see any acts of terrorism, drug addiction and criminal activities, we want to see a hunger- and poverty-free ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,’ she added.

The Prime Minister asked the BCL men to further strengthen the organisation, educate people in their respective areas, keep strong vigil so that no student and youth can slip into a wrong path of drug addiction and militancy, facilitate the school feeding programmes in their areas and continue efforts to reduce the rate of dropouts, read the ‘Unfinished Memoirs’ of Bangabandhu, and spread his message.

Mentioning that military ruler like HM Ershad, then Khaleda Zia and even the head of the caretaker government were born in foreign soil, Hasina said the if anyone does not have affection for the own land then he or she would not have any love and affection for his or her people. ‘How could they love the country’s people, since they were not born in this country?’

She said the Father of the Nation who was the country’s first President was born in this land and she was also fortunate to be born in this soil as his daughter.

Mentioning that it was the dream of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that Bangladesh would one day become a zero poverty country, Hasina said she had her firm belief that her government would be able to accomplish that task.

Hasina said the rate of extreme poverty in the country is now 12 percent and efforts are there to further reduce it to 7-8 percent.

Seeking the list of homeless and landless people in the county, the Prime Minister said not a single person would starve and remain homeless in Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister said although she had once advocated for microcredit, with the passage of time it has been found that the micro credit makes the rich even richer while keep the poor at the unchanged position as poverty is nurtured through this process.

Hasina said her government came up with the idea of micro-savings and has been implementing the One House One Farm project.

AL Religious Affairs Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, AL Organising Secretary Enamul Haque Shamim, Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy were, among others, present on the occasion.  BCL President Saifur Rahman Sohagh and general secretary SM Jakir Hossain also spoke on the occasion.

Later, the leaders of Tungipara upazila Awami League greeted the Prime Minister with bouquets as she has been reelected Awami League President.

AL Advisory Council member Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed, AL Office Secretary and PM’s Special Assistant Abdus Sobhan Golap, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, and PM’s Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil were also present.