Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a barbed retort to the opposition leader on Saturday, elaborated on an analogy of thorns that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had made during a speech in Dhaka the day before.

Hasina, speaking in Chittagong, said those who had turned the people's lives miserable during their own tenure in government between 2001 and 2006, are now out to make it more difficult for the ruling government.

She was speaking at ceremony organised by the Chittagong Development Authority at Bahaddarhat on Saturday, to mark the laying of foundation stones of six flyovers to be built in the port city.

She said, "Those who had made the people's lives thorny during their tenure, are now out to make the government's path thorny as well."

Khaleda Zia had warned Hasina that the opposition would launch an agitation programme against the government, making their path "a thorny one", if she compromised on any of the longstanding critical issues with India.

Hasina is scheduled to travel to India later this month when the critical issues including construction of the Tipaimukh Dam in Meghalaya and transit through Bangladesh are expected to come up for discussion, besides unresolved water-sharing and maritime boundary matters.

Speaking as chief guest, the prime minister urged her audience in Chittagong to beware of the opposition's bid to turn this country into a militant state and said that there would be no tolerance for militancy or terrorism in Bangladesh.

She also vowed that the government would hold the trial of war criminals on Bangladesh's soil.

Hasina mentioned that the trial of the jail killings of four national leaders in 1975 would also have to be held and said her government was incessantly trying to ensure justice for the people.

She also said that the trend of development that has begun with the construction of the flyovers in Chittagong would continue.

The prime minister pointed the development works planned for Chittagong saying that several roads including a four-lane highway to Dhaka, the Bayezid Bostami Road worth Tk 25 crore and Kapasgola Road worth Tk 40 crore were under way.

Hasina said the government had decided to build a deep sea port in Sonadia to truly turn Chittagong into the country's commercial capital and a hub of economic activity in the country's southern region.

The government had also taken up plans to modernise a the Eastern Refineries spending about Tk 7,000 crore that would be completed by 2011 and lead cheaper oil—by at least $10 per barrel.

Assuring the citizens of Chittagong that their city would be developed as a well-planned city, Hasina urged them not to engage in hill-cutting or cut down trees to build up their dwellings as these would disrupt environmental balance.

Among others the ceremony was also addressed by Chittagong city mayor, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and state minister for public works Abdul Mannan Khan. The ceremony was chaired by Abdus Salam, chairman of the Chittagong Development Authority.

Source: bdnews24.com

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