The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Prime Minister hopeful Awami League president Sheikh Hasina urged all political parties to put an end to "politics of confrontation and hatred" and unitedly build Bangladesh as a prosperous, developed and safe country.

In her televised address to the nation, Hasina said Awami League and their grand alliance do not want to see Bangladesh slipping back into its past confrontational environment. "Now it's extremely needed to work together so people's rights to voting and democracy are not harmed anymore."

"Let's work hands in hands for building Bangladesh with a clean new political culture to save democracy and ensure peace," she said.

In an emotion-choked voice, Sheikh Hasina said there had been many attempts on her life in Bangladesh, "but no attack or intimidation will be able to prevent me from working for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh."

"I'm a Muslim and a Muslim can dare no one but Almighty Allah. I'll never bow down my head to any grenade and bullet. I'll work till my last breath for the people of Bangladesh," she said.

Hasina pledged to bring down the prices of all essentials including rice, oil and pulses within the buying-capacity of the commoners and build such a society where there will be no terrorism and corruption.

She urged the people of Bangladesh to judiciously cast their votes as the democratic transition and future of development depend on a free, fair and acceptable election on December 29.

"You (people) will decide whether the country will go back to the dark era of BNP-Jamaat alliance or will move towards en enlightened future?" the former premier said.

She said the dream of the 1971 liberation war was to build a hunger, corruption, oppression-free Bangladesh.

"But the anti-liberation forces killed our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders, plunging Bangladesh into an era of darkness. At last in 1996, Awami League had come forward to free the nation from that dark era through a fair election," she said.

The prices of essentials had been brought within the commoners' buying capacity and Bangladesh was made self-reliant in food. "We had planned to free Bangladesh from the curse of illiteracy by 2006. But Awami League was not allowed to get back to power in 2001 through vote fraud," she said.

All the achievements and successes of the nation were shattered by the 4-party alliance for their endless corruption and corruption.

"The country's people know it very well how the sons of the former prime minister took bribes from foreign companies and siphoned off the money from the country. Some 21,000 progressive persons, including former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria and labour leader Ahsanullah Master, were killed by the terrorists of the BNP-Jamaat alliance," she said.

Hasina reminded the people about the "rise of militancy under the direct patronage of the BNP-Jamaat alliance", as attempt was made to kill her in grenade attacks in August 21, 2004.

"The militants had killed our 22 leaders, including women leader Ivy Rahman. Still, hundreds of people are carrying the signs of injuries they sustained in the grenade attacks. The militants also killed judges, lawyers, university teachers and students," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the Anti-Corruption Commission would be strengthened apart from dealing with all types of terrorism with a strong hand.

Hasina said special programmes would be taken to bring those got derailed by embracing militancy back to the enlightened path.

She also said no law that might go against Quran and Sunnah would be enacted if Awami League comes back to power.

Hasina urged the people to vote the grand alliance to power in Monday' s election and allow it to help Bangladesh attain food autarky again and bring down the prices of essential.