For progress, people will have to re-elect AL: Hasina

Amid threats from the opposition to refuse to accept the general election under Awami League, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has renewed her resolve to hold the balloting as per the Constitution.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Oct 2013, 12:19 PM
Updated : 6 Oct 2013, 01:09 PM

It means the election, due between this Oct 25 and Jan 24, 2014, will be held under an interim government with the ruling Awami League still in power.

Hasina believes people will have no option other than electing the Awami League if they want their country to develop further.

She was speaking at a rally organised by Peshajibi Somonnoy Parishad, a platform for professionals, at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Sunday.

“We will conduct our next election exactly in the same manner it is held in democratic countries or where parliamentary democracy exists,” Hasina asserted.

She claimed elections of BNP-backed mayors at Gazipur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet had frustrated the voters.

According to her, the trend of forcible occupation of businesses, institutions or land owned by others in these areas was on alarming rise.

Hasina said today or tomorrow elections had to be eventually held under the ruling party as the existing system of non-party caretaker government oversight poses a potential risk to democracy.

She said there was no chance for the election to be rigged or manipulated as the Election Commission was working independently.

“People are the owners of the vote. We have ensured that ownership…We definitely will come to power if the people vote us. It completely depends on the people.”

“If the people want development, three meals a day, free books, medicine, treatment, a peaceful life; if the people don’t want militancy; I believe they will vote for Awami League.”

“I don’t have anything to say if (they) want to see the corrupt (in power), terrorism, militancy and unrest,” said Hasina.

Referring to BNP Chaireprson Khaleda Zia’s statement that she would not to go to an election under a government led by Hasina, the Prime Minister said she was well aware of the fact that the opposition leader did not want to see her face.

The Awami League President once again blamed Khaleda for the grenade attack launched on her rally in Aug 21, 2004.

“She (Khaleda) had planted those huge bombs (recovered from) Kotalipara - one weighing 84 kg and the other 76 kg – for killing me.”
“She had promoted Rakibul Huda, the mastermind of the 1988 shooting incident in Chittagong in which fire was opened on one of my rallies killing 33 leaders and activists.”
Hasina once again criticised Khaleda for celebrating her birthday on Aug 15 when the nation’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed along with his most family members in 1975. She said Khaleda had five birth dates.
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique also attended the programme.
“A country cannot advance by according criminals political rights,” said Prof Siddque.
The participants congratulated Hasina on her winning the ‘South-South’ Award.