Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday stressed the need for proper punishment of the perpetrators of the recent countrywide mayhem to stop them from playing with the lives of the people in the future.

“It is a very painful situation. So many people are now injured and killed,” she said in an emotion-choked voice while visiting Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the afternoon to see the injured who came under attacks during the recent countrywide mayhem.

She went to the emergency unit of DMCH at 4:30pm and inquired about the condition of the injured.

The PM reiterated her call to the people of the country to find the culprits behind such heinous acts.

“They should be given appropriate punishment so that none can play ducks and drakes with the lives of the people anymore,” she said, adding that she never wanted anyone to lose their dear ones in this country.

“I never wanted such a ‘procession of death’ to take place. But such a thing happened in Bangladesh today,” said Hasina.

She said her government has been implementing all necessary steps for elevating the socio-economic condition of the people.

“My question is what have they gained from it. So many people lost their lives! So many families were affected!” she added.

The premier prayed for the salvation of the departed souls and wished quick recovery of the injured.

“We’ll do whatever is needed for their treatment. There was no deficiency in providing them with treatments,” she said.

She said the physicians, the health minister and the state minister for health have been visiting the injured patients and ensuring the proper treatment.

Sheikh Hasina said she would visit more hospitals where the injured are undergoing treatment.

She asked the countrymen to pray so that this sort of militancy and oppression can be eradicated.

The prime minister said that Jamaat-Shibir, BNP and Chhatra Dal have been carrying out these destructive acts taking advantage of the quota movement.

“They’ve no sense of humanity, no love and affection for the country, no sense of responsibility towards the country. And they do not consider human beings as human beings,” she said.

The premier asked the countrymen to be united against this barbarism and such heinous incidents.

“We accepted all demands (placed by the students). Then why is it (movement) again? That is my question. Is it to create scope for militancy?,” she said.

The prime minister extended her sincere thanks to the physicians for providing medical treatment to the injured.

Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen, State Minister for Health Dr Rokeya Sultana and local lawmaker AFM Bahauddin Nasim, among others, accompanied the premier during her DMCH visit.

The prime minister visited the vandalised metro rail station at Mirpur 10 in the capital on Thursday morning and ransacked Bangladesh Television (BTV) Bhaban on Friday morning to see the extent of damage inflicted upon these during the recent violence.