She says she cannot be blamed for the opposition’s failure to organise their party
Published : 09 Jan 2024, 02:12 AM
Amid criticisms of Bangladesh’s parliament for not having a strong opposition, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said it is not her job to strengthen the opposition.
The Jatiya Party, the official opposition in parliament, has secured only 11 seats even with the help of the ruling Awami League, which won 222 seats for absolute majority and a record-extending fourth straight term in Sunday’s election.
During her meeting with observers and journalists at the Ganabhaban on Monday, an Indian journalist spoke of the importance of the opposition in democracy.
The journalist asked Hasina if she, as a “visionary leader”, has the duty to create such an environment where an opposition force will exist.
“Tell me what you want? Do you want me to form the opposition? Can I do that?” Hasina asked.
Hasina referred to her long stint in the opposition and said: “If you want to be the opposition, you must organise your party. If you fail to do so, who will be responsible for that?”
“If you ask me to form a political party for the opposition, I can do that. But it won’t be truly an opposition party, will it?”
A BBC journalist asked if Bangladesh’s democracy can be lively without an opposition after the BNP’s boycott.
Hasina said the boycott by a political party does not mean the absence of democracy. “We need to see if the people took part in the vote.”
She also criticised the BNP for violence during protests. “When you try to kill ordinary people for political gains, it becomes terrorism, not politics.”