Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her address to the nation this evening called upon BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to shun the politics of sabotage and return to the path of peace.

In the around half-an-hour speech on the first anniversary of the 10th parliamentary election, she described the election boycott by the BNP as a politically wrong decision of Khaleda Zia.

“Why the people will pay for their (BNP) political mistake,” she said during the address aired by state-run BTV and Bangladesh Betar as well as private television and radio stations.

“You tell the countrymen what good you want to do for them. Reorganise your party, so that you might have possibility in the future (to come to power),” the premier minster suggested the BNP chief.

Referring to BNP’s ongoing oust-government movement, Hasina said, “The path you are following will not bring any good for the people. Rather, you will again lose the faith and trust of the people. People want security, peace and development.”

She said they want to come out of the cycle of bad politics. “We want to practice that politics which is for the welfare of the people.”  

She alleged that the BNP-led 20-party alliance has been trying to create an unstable and anarchic situation while the county is going forward with the coordinated efforts of all.

About the war crimes trial, the prime minister said, “The trials of the war criminals are going on. The verdicts are being executed. We will complete the trails of all war criminals, Inshallah.” 

Referring to the 10th parliamentary election a year back, the prime minister said: “We had offered everything possible for forming an inclusive election. We had even wanted to form an all-party election-time government. Our only demand was holding the election remaining within the provisions of the Constitution.”

But the BNP-Jamaat alliance did not respond to that and tried to foil the January 5 election and save the war criminals through indulging in killing, vandalism and arson across the country.

“A year ago today, you have given mandate to the Awami League to form government for a second consecutive term through a free and fair election,” said the premier thanking the countrymen for voting AL candidates although more than half of them elected uncontested.

Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, listed the successes of her government and development took place during the time. She also highlighted the major projects her government has taken to take the country forward.