A Correspondent:
Jashore: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday urged the country’s people to remain alert against spreading confusion and creating disorder in the country over the referendum and the July Charter, say-ing that some individuals and political parties are trying to serve their own political interests over the issue.
“Some individuals and political parties are now trying to divert the referendum in a different direction and creating disorder by misleading the country’s people,” he said.
The premier added: “Everyone must remain alert about those who are trying to divert the verdict of the referendum in a different direction and representing the July Charter in a wrong way for their own polit-ical interests”.
Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP Chairman, made the remarks while addressing a mammoth gathering yesterday after launching the re-excavation work of the historic Ulashi Canal in Sharsha upazila under Jashore district.
He said if they are succeed to create chaos in the country for their own political gain, the government’s all the programs undertaken for the people such as Family Card for women, Farmer Card for farmers, canal excavation programs, initiatives to create employment for unemployed youths, reopening closed mills and factories, programs to deliver healthcare services to villages, and tree plantation programs will be disrupted.
He said the people themselves must play a responsible role so that the country’s progress is not hindered.
The Prime Minister said, “The July Charter signed by political parties will be fully implemented step by step.”
Reminding about the mass uprising of August 5, Tarique Rahman said, “The people have already proven that they do not accept any attempt to ignore their will. Just as the people gave an appropriate response on August 5, they will respond in the same way in the future if anyone tries to play with their fate.”
Highlighting various development initiatives of the government, he said, “If these programs are imple-mented successfully, positive changes will come in the lives of the country’s people.”
The Prime Minister called upon the countrymen to turn their 20 crore hands into 40 crore to build the country.
“Today we must take an oath. The 40 crore hands of 20 crore people cannot remain idle. These 40 crore hands must be engaged in building the country and changing the fate of its people,” he said.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Water Resources Minister Md Shahi-duddin Chowdhury Anee and State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad and State Minister for LGRD and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam spoke at the function with State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit in the chair.
Earlier, the Prime Minister formally inaugurated the Ulashi canal re-excavation programme by cutting soil with a spade around 11:55am and planted a sapling on the bank of the canal.
The Prime Minister arrived at the canal excavation site around 11:42 am and unveiled the plaque of the re-excavation program and offered a “Munajat” there.
On November 1, 1976, the then President Ziaur Rahman excavated the nearly 4-kilometer-long canal from Ulashi to Jadunathpur at Sharsha upazila in Jashore through voluntary labour, which is known as ‘Zia Khal’.
This canal is now being re-excavated by the Bangladesh Water Development Board.
