Nusrat’s killers won’t be spared: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the perpetrators who set fire on Feni madrasha student Nusrat Jahan Rafi to death would not be spared.

“Some of the perpetrators have already been arrested and more others would also be arrested soon,” she said while addressing an advisory council meeting of Awami League at her official residence Gonabhaban here this afternoon.

The premier said “I personally believe they would have to face exemplary punishment so that none can dare to commit such heinous crimes in future.”

She said she has no word to denounce the heinous act that a female student was killed in setting on fire without any cause by a madarasha principal.

Mentioning her government’s efforts to save the life of Nusrat, she said, “We have tried our best. We even held talks with the physicians of Singapore to take their opinions for sending her to that country for better treatment. But, we did not get any positive response from them.”

Nusrat lost her battle for life on April 10, five days after she was set ablaze at a madrasa in Feni on April 6.

In this context, the premier said the BNP has introduced the culture of arson attack in the name of foiling national polls and overthrowing the elected Awami League government in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

The 20-party political alliance led by BNP and Jamaat killed people in carrying out arson attacks on buses, trucks, cars and trains following the footsteps of the Pakistani occupation forces who killed people setting fire on houses during the Liberation War in 1971.

Referring to the FR Tower fire in the city’s Banani area in which many people were killed, the premier asked for creating social awareness to keep adequate space in the buildings to come out in case of any disaster like fire.

The government had tried its best to save the life of fireman Sohel Rana, who was severely injured while conducting rescue operation in FR Tower, sending him to Singapore for better treatment, she continued.

The Prime Minister asked all concerned particularly the engineers, planners and owners of the houses to be cautious to this end.

Everyone should take their own initiatives to protect them from fire instead of depending only on the government, she said.

On construction of 22 or 23-storey building after taking permission of 18 -storey one, the premier said that the government would not tolerate any more such ill works.

Awami League government has purchased ladder and other necessary fire equipments facilitating the firemen to douse flame even in 22-storey building, she said, adding that earlier the fire fighters could only extinguish fire on a six-storey building.

The government is now constructing fire stations at each of the upazilas across the country, Sheikh Hasina added.

But, she said ,the governments of Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia did nothing for development of the fire management system in the country.

The premier asked all the leaders and activists of Awami League, its associate and front bodies to take preparation for celebrating the year- long birth centennial of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a huge canvass across the country.

A national committee has already been formed to this respect and subcommittees will also be formed for successful celebration of the birth centennial of the Father of the Nation, she mentioned. She sought opinions from the meeting for successful celebration of the birth centennial.

The premier greeted the countrymen on the occasion of the Bangalee New Year to be celebrated across the country on April 14.