BANGLADESH

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has come out with a blazing response to her political rival BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's question as to which faith she actually belongs to.

Hasina on Wednesday said, "She asked whether I'm a Muslim or not. I would like to tell her that my day starts with Fajr prayers while her morning begins at midday."

She also said that the BNP chief is creating disorder in the country as she could not tolerate the pain of defeat in the last national election and the current government's 'deluge of development'.

The Awami League president was addressing a public rally at Nilphamari Government High School ground.

At a public meeting in Sylhet on Tuesday, Khaleda said, "Prime minister Sheikh Hasina told a Durga Puja function that our Maa Durga has arrived by elephant. Is Durga her mother? We want to know which religion she actually believes in."

The opposition leader also slated Hasina for dropping the words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' from the constitution.

Criticising the trial for crimes against humanity during the nation's war of independence in 1971, the BNP chief had also claimed the government was targeting and arresting leaders of four-party alliance that BNP heads.

Hasina on Wednesday retorted that BNP has begun conspiring to save those people charged with war crimes.

"The four-party alliance had turned the country into a heaven for terrorism and corruption during its last term." Hasina said her (Khaleda) 'good boys' laundered abroad billions of public money that they had siphoned off.

"They must return the money or cases will be filed against them. The trial of those will be held on this land who steal money from the poor and orphans."

Khaleda's sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Coco, are charged in two separate money laundering cases. A Dhaka court on June 23 jailed Coco for six years and fined him Tk 190.41 million for siphoning off funds worth Singapore $2,884,000 and US $ 932,000 to Singapore.

Khaleda and Tarique are also accused in the Zia Orphanage Trusts case.

During her speech on Wednesday, Hasina said, "Our target is to keep every people of the country in peace. Children will go to schools. They will get stipends. Loans are being distributed in each of the districts. Our main target is a Bangladesh free of poverty."

Hasina promised her big audience of steps to expand rail line up to Nilphamari's Uttara Export Processing Zone, introduce master's courses in Nilphamari Government College and honours courses in Nilphamari Women's College and set up a youth training centre.