Awami League president Sheikh Hasina yesterday hit-out at what she called the politics of vengeance being pursued by the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.

"They (government) has almost ruined this country’s immense prospects and potentialities to exact revenge for the defeat they suffered in the Liberation War of 1971," she said while inaugurating as chief guest the national council of the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (a pro-independence body of doctors) at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of Administrative Management at Eskaton in the city yesterday.

The Leader of the Opposition alleged that the alliance government had prepared a hit list of 8,000 dedicated and popular leaders of her party, including herself, in a desperate bid to cling to power.

"The days are not far off when the people will build up resistance against the misdeeds and misrule of the government," she said.

The Awami League chief also accused the alliance government of jeopardising the peace process in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and claimed that the hill region had turned into a region of immense prospects after the restoration of peace there following the CHT Peace Treaty signed on December 2, 1997.

But, she regretted that a turbulent situation was prevailing now in the CHT region due to the politics of vengeance being pursued by the alliance government.

Sheikh Hasina also alleged that the government had turned Bangladesh into a country of panic, abduction, killing, terrorism, corruption and rape during 22 months of its misrule.

The Awami League chief stressed the need for building up mass resistance with a view to ending misrule once and for all.

Sheikh Hasina also accused the alliance government of politicising all sectors one after another, including the health services. "Even the physicians’ community is not spared of the politics of vengeance of the government," she said calling upon all irrespective of their political opinions to launch a mass movement with a view to freeing the nation from the "suffocating situation" prevailing in the country.

Presided over by the president of the Parishad, Prof (Dr) AFM Ruhul Huq, the inaugural session of the council was attended by a number of physicians from different parts of the country.

The inaugural session of the council was also addressed by the Parishad Secretary General, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Prof (Dr) Rashid-e-Mahbub and Dr Abu Shafi Ahmed Amin. Dr Kanak Kanti Barua proposed a vote of thanks.

The central leaders of the Awami League and its front organisations who attended the inaugural session included Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Obaidul Quader, Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, Col (Retd) Faruque Khan, MP; Dr Abdur Razzak, MP; Prof Abu Sayeed, Prof (Dr) MA Mannan, MP; Prof (Dr) Aman Ullah, MP; Prof (Dr) SM Akbar, MP, and Dr Mozammel Huq.

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, CHITTAGONG

The Independent

Sept 5: Terrorism could not be stopped without political initiatives, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan said today.

He called upon leaders and activists of the ruling and opposition parties to boycott terrorists and criminals.

Replying to another question of the journalists Morshed Khan termed the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) an inactive organisation. "We nominated Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury as our candidate for the OIC Secretary General’s post to activate it in the better interests of the Muslim countries."

He said, Salahuddin is one of the people’s representative and an ace parliamentarian. A vested quarter is unfortunately opposing his nomination that will only tarnish the image of the country. "We hope he will improve the image and glory of our country as the Secretary General of the OIC", he added.

The Foreign Minister said: "We may send our troops to Iraq to help the people of Iraq under the United Nations Peace Corps. Our troops will not side with any party," he said. "Earlier, we sent our troops to 28 countries under the UN Peace Corps. Next month we will take a decision on sending troops to Liberia. "Our troops have upheld the image of our nation during their activities in those countries under the UN Peace Corps," he added.

A cabinet meeting would be held at the commercial capital, Chittagong, after finalisation of the decision on building the third bridge on the river Karnafulli as well as the framing of a plan for the development of the port city, he said while replying to another question.

He was addressing journalists at a "Meet the Press" function organised by the Chittagong Reporters Council at the local Press Club this morning.

Staff Reporter, The Independent

Convener of left-wing Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) Khalequzzaman yesterday expressed concern at the increase in prices of electricity.

The BSD convener in a statement yesterday said the BNP-Jamaat alliance government had been increasing prices of utilities like power, gas and water at regular intervals to appease the World Bank and IMF.

He said the prices of other commodities and irrigation cost would go up as a result of the increase in the price of electricity and the common men would have to bear the burden. He demanded withdrawal of the increased price of electricity.

Khalequzzaman said the government could supply electricity to the people at a lower price by increasing power production using natural gas of the country but it was "conspiring" to export gas to India.

He urged the people to build up a movement for withdrawal of the increased price of electricity.