Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists to give befitting reply to propaganda against AL on social media.
“I ask BCL leaders and activists to give appropriate reply to propaganda against us on the social media using the advantage of digital Bangladesh,” she said.
The prime minister also urged the countrymen not to pay heed to any rumour over liquidity as every bank has enough money.
She was addressing as the chief guest the 30th national council of the BCL, the student wing of the ruling AL, at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka.
The premier suggested providing information online regarding their (BNP-Jamaat alliance) misdeeds such as arson terrorism, killing of innocent people, corruption and vote rigging during their tenure as a reply of the propaganda.
“It will be enough to stop their propaganda against us and Bangladesh Chhatra League will be able to do it,” she opined.
Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the countrymen not to pay heed to the rumour that the banks have no money.
“We have no problem by the blessing of Allah. Each of the banks has money. So, I request all not to pay heed to any rumour,” she said, referring to her talks with the foreign minister, foreign secretary and Bangladesh Bank governor in the last two days.
She said there is a syndicate who are out to mislead the people by spreading falsehood, adding, “I know they will definitely do it (spread rumour) as they are competent to tell lies.”
She described the BCL men as the “sonar manush (golden sons) and soldiers” of building Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country by 2041.
The AL president asked them to prepare themselves as competent by studying attentively particularly on science and technology as they can run the state successfully and compete with the fourth industrial revolution.
The prime minister reminded the BCL leaders and workers about the AL student wing’s contribution to the progressive movements of Bangladesh, saying that the history of the Chhatra League is the history of Bangladesh.
She said the BCL played significant role in each progressive movement such as language movement in 1952, six-point demand in 1966, mass-upsurge in 1969 and Liberation War to dislodge Ershad and Khaleda Zia’s government.
She also said the BCL is at the top of the list of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of saving the country.
“So, I hope the Chhatra League will contribute immensely to the development of the country,” she added.
In this connection, she said Khaleda Zia gave arms to the students to give the Awami League a good lesson, on the contrary, she gave them books and pens to pay attention to study which is required for building the country.
Sheikh Hasina said after taking the state power violating the country’s constitution and army rules, military dictator Ziaur Rahman had disappeared many BCL leaders and activists including Mofiz and Babu.
Zia also killed many military officials, whose bodies have yet been got by their relatives and carried out inhuman tortures on hundreds of the AL leaders and activists, she said.
Likewise, Ziaur Rahman, her wife Khaleda Zia and Ershad did the same, she also said.
Referring to the various incidents in the dormitories of Dhaka University, Rajshahi University and other public universities, she said BNP was out to torture and kill BCL men to destroy the environment of education.
They (BNP) even killed two teachers of the Rajshahi University, she added.
The prime minister earlier inaugurated the BCL council by hoisting the national flag and releasing pigeons and balloons.
She opened the BCL website and BCL Community App at the function.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister and General Secretary of the AL Obaidul Quader addressed the function as the special guest with BCL President Al Nahian Khan Joy in the chair.
BCL General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee and Office Secretary Indraneel Deb Sharma Roni respectively placed the organisational report and condolence motion over the deaths of its former leaders at the council. The last BCL council was held in May, 2018.
A one minute silence was observed to show respect to the former BCL leaders who have died.