Hasina demands int'l probe into Kuril arms haul

She said the BNP-Jamaat coalition government does not want to allow any international probe into the arms haul for fear of unveiling the truth though FBI, the US intelligence agency, wanted to investigate the matter.

"If the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) or Scotland Yard is allowed to investigate, the real criminals could be caught… But they (government) do not want it," Hasina said.

The Awami League president was addressing the concluding session of the first meeting of the central executive committee of Awami Sechchhasebak League at the party's Dhanmondi office in the evening.

Addressing the meeting, Hasina strongly condemned police action on activists of the 11-Party Alliance, including Rashed Khan Menon, during yesterday's hartal.

She said the BNP-Jamaat coalition government could give nothing to the people but terrorism, corruption, politicisation and nepotism.

"They have made the country a safe haven for the communal groups… People are burnt to death, angry mobs lynch people and human rights are violated in every sphere of the society," she said.

People are now fed up as the coalition government has been "misusing" its power and has failed to establish good governance.

Referring to lynching incidents in Noakhali, Hasina asked why people in the constituency of the law minister would take the law in their hand. "People have lost their faith in the government and that's the cause of such brutal incidents," she said.

She said the previous Awami League government had planned to set up Swadhinata Stambha at Suhrawardy Udyan but works on the project were stopped after the BNP-Jamaat coalition came to power.