Khaleda gave weapons to students, I provided them with books: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia handed over weapons to students.

"It was I who brought the students back to the stream of education and provided them with books," she added.

The premier was speaking at the 30th national council of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of Awami League, on Tuesday.

She inaugurated the event by releasing balloons at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka at around 11am.

She said, "Khaleda Zia had threatened that the Chhatra Dal is enough to teach the Awami League a lesson. They gave weapons to the students. Whereas, I provided them with books, notebooks and pens.

"Students will learn. They will take responsibility for the country in future. They will lead the country…You [students] will not only educate yourselves but when you go home you will literate the illiterate."

Leaders and members started gathering at the venue since Tuesday morning. There was a festive mood all around with colourful banners and decorations in places of the city.

She also asked leaders and activists to counter anti-government propaganda on social media by raising there the misdeeds of BNP-Jamaat.

"We've made Digital Bangladesh. But today social media has been flooded with propaganda against us. I would like to ask our Chhatra League leaders and activists to give fitting replies to these," she said.

Road diversion has been in place since Tuesday morning to limit vehicle movement on roads surrounding Suhrawardy Udyan.

About the overall preparations for the conference, Chhatra League President Al Nahian Khan Joy said, "We have completed all the preparations for the conference. In the meantime, I have received applications from candidates. The new committee will be based on the decision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."

In total, 254 people have submitted their candidature forms for the posts of president and general secretary of BCL, said Shams-e-Noman, election commissioner of the council.

The national council of Chhatra League will be announced ahead of the national elections.

Bangladesh Chhatra League participated in every freedom movement starting from the Liberation War of the country. However, in the last two decades, the organisation has been involved in various misdeeds and controversies, from which even the current committee was not free of.

Allegations of opposing ideology, committee trade and anti-organisational activities have also been made against the Joy-Lekhok committee. Though there were demands for holding a council meeting by dissolving the committee it could not happen till now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

BCL held its 29th national conference in May 2018. In July of that year, Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury became the president and Golam Rabbani became the general secretary of the student wing of the ruling Awami League. They were later dismissed from the organisation due to controversial activities.

Later, Al Nahian Khan Joy was appointed as acting president and Lekhok Bhattacharya as acting general secretary.

On 4 January 2020, on the founding anniversary of Chhatra League, Joy and Lekhok were made president and general secretary.