Dhaka: Reiterating that the joint drive against those engaged in criminal acts will continue, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the arrest of the culprits is not enough as they need to be given tough punishment through the disposal of their cases.

‘The joint drive will continue against those engaged in criminal and subversive acts. Arresting them is not enough, they (criminals) should get tough punishment through the disposal of their cases so that no one could cause harm to people in the future,’ she said.

The Prime Minister came up with her hard stance during a videoconferencing with the district development coordination committee of Bogra and Satkhira from the Cabinet Division Conference room.

Hasina mentioned that her government’s prime aim is to ensure peace and security of the public life and said those who burned people to death alive through hurling firebombs and caused huge damage to public life and property in the name of hartals and blockades must get the punishment.

‘Then joint drive will continue until the public life becomes safe.’

After the arrest of the culprits, she said, it has to be ensured that the charge-sheets are speedily framed against them following the filing of the cases.

In this regard, she asked the law enforcement agencies, local administration and all concerned so that the chargesheets are framed speedily. ‘Or else, the criminals would repeat their misdeeds after coming out of jail on bail.’

She also suggested continuing mobile courts in this regard taking into account the anarchy and mayhem before the January-5 polls in 2014 and after January 5 this year.

Hasina said the districts under the Rajshahi Division were the worst affected ones before the January-5 polls.

Asking the local administration to give proper attention towards implementing the development works, she said agricultural produces in rural areas should have to be produced, processed, preserved and marketed properly. ‘Cold storages, chilling system, processing and marketing system should be developed either in public or private initiatives.

Sheikh Hasina suggested setting up food-processing SME industries prioritising the farm produces in the areas where those are produced a plenty and then marketing and exporting those.

Citing her government's initiative to set up mini stadiums at upazila level, Hasina directed the district administrations to look for suitable places for building those saying that sports and games, the practice of culture and literature would keep the young generation away from wrong path.

Responding to a request from the Bogra district council administrator to set up a railway track from Bogra to Sirajganj, Hasina said she would consider it later.

Voicing a little bit of dissatisfaction over the rate of education of just over 49 percent in Bogra, she said perhaps many have followed the 'daughter-in- law' of Bogra, an apparent reference to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

About the water logging problem in Satkhira, the PM directed the authorities concerned for continuing dredging of the Kapatakhha River properly and adopting a measure so that the coastal embankments in the region are not affected for using water for shrimp enclosures.

She also hinted about setting up the Rabindra University at Shahjadpur in Sirajganj since some 1200 acres of land is there donated by Rabindranath himself.