“What Hasina? Have you even seen her face?”: Salahuddin

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the people of Bangladesh will never accept Awami League politics, questioning the relevance of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“What Hasina? Have you even seen her face? We only hear her voice occasionally. They are trying to create some kind of instability in Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh will never accept their politics,” he said.

He made the remarks at around noon on Friday while laying the foundation stone for a new building at the 500-bed Cox’s Bazar Medical College Hospital.

Earlier, Salahuddin attended the inauguration of Residential Flat Development Project-1 of the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority (CDA).

Speaking at the event, the home minister said Bangladesh could generate substantial revenue by properly utilising its marine resources and seaports. He said the government was pursuing various plans to harness the potential of the blue economy.

He also said Cox’s Bazar’s vast tourism potential could make a significant contribution to the national economy if fully developed.

Salahuddin said various areas had previously been arbitrarily declared Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs) under the “fascist government”. He said the government had ordered a review of those designations based on surveys to facilitate tourism development.

He stressed that tourism development must go hand in hand with environmental protection.

“Tourism cannot simply mean constructing tall buildings. Development activities should cover the entire Cox’s Bazar beach area. We need to showcase Cox’s Bazar’s beauty to the world and attract tourists,” he said, urging authorities to prioritise environmental protection rather than focusing solely on infrastructure development.

The home minister also said the government plans to establish a marine university to expand opportunities for higher education and marine research around Cox’s Bazar.

He said the initiative would open new avenues for marine education, research and the development of skilled human resources.

Among those present at the foundation-stone ceremony were Ukhia-Teknaf MP Shahjahan Chowdhury, Maheshkhali-Kutubdia MP Alamgir Mohammad Mahfuz Ullah Farid and reserved women’s seat MP Shamima Ara Swapna, among others.