Efforts to keep the government in a state of instability will continue for as long as Sheikh Hasina remains alive, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Advisor, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference on the progress of various government activities, Dr. Zahed responded to questions about whether attempts were being made to create unrest in December to facilitate Sheikh Hasina’s return to the country. He stated that the matter was not confined to December alone.
“As long as Sheikh Hasina is alive, such efforts may continue. This is not about December. It is for the entire period she is alive. We believe her efforts will continue, and we will counter them,” he said. Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed was also present at the briefing.
Dr. Zahed referred to Sheikh Hasina’s remarks in Parliament on the first day after the 1991 general election, in which the Awami League was defeated. He recalled that she had said she would not allow the government a single day of peace and suggested that the same mindset might still be at work.
On the ongoing movement of garment workers, the advisor acknowledged that rising living expenses, inflation, and higher fuel prices had made life difficult for workers. He said the government had taken these realities into account and formed a wage board earlier than scheduled.
Normally, garment workers’ wages are reviewed every five years. The last revision took place in 2023, so a new board would not have been due until 2028. However, the government decided to act ahead of schedule because of the pressure on workers’ livelihoods, he explained.
Addressing allegations of violence and sabotage linked to the workers’ protests, Dr. Zahed said he did not believe the Awami League, as a political party, was in a position to operate actively. He noted, however, that the party still possessed substantial funds that could be used to attempt sabotage in various places. At the same time, he cautioned against equating legitimate workers’ demands with such activities.
On the presence of outsiders and young people in the movement and the role of law enforcement, the advisor said the government did not wish to rely on the repressive methods used in the past. He stressed that security forces must act within the law and apply force proportionately according to the situation.
‘Two defeated evil forces of ’71 and ’24 have joined forces’
Prime Minister’s political assistant Rashed Khan on Tuesday commented that the Jamaat Amir cannot avoid responsibility for the violent mischief that the Awami League is carrying out by exploiting the workers’ movement.
He said: “We have full solidarity with the workers’ just protest. However, the anarchy that is being created by inciting this movement is fueled. The government has already started taking steps to implement the demands for which the long march has been called.”
Rashed Khan strongly criticized the Jamaat Amir, saying: “From the stage of the 11-party long march, the Jamaat Amir warned that everything would be destroyed if the demands were not met. Right after his statement, the Awami League and Chhatra League have taken to the field, capitalizing on the dissatisfaction of the garment sector. Arson and vandalism are being carried out in the ready-made garment industry to paralyze the country’s economy.”
He added that the two defeated evil forces of 1971 and 2024 are conspiring together to fail the current government, which the country has to face to move forward.