BANGLADESH NEWS
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday expressed her strong resolve to hold the next general election in a free, fair and credible manner as the present Election Commission has been working independently and neutrally.
“Awami League believes in democracy. If the AL government could hold some 5,175 different elections in a free, fair and neutral manner during its tenure, then it can also hold the next general election freely and fairly,” she said promising not to allow anyone to interfere in the EC’s activities.
The Awami League president was exchanging views with the grassroots-level leaders and workers of Meherpur district unit of her party at her official residence Gono Bhaban.
Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, AL presidium members Kazi Jafarullah, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury, AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif were also present.
“No one will be allowed to play with the fate of the country’s people as done in the past…we’ll have to ensure the economic emancipation of our people and AL is working to this end,” Hasina told the AL grassroots-level leaders.
About human rights, the premier said questions are being raised about human rights violation at a time when attempts are made to try those who burned sleeping people to death in buses and cars.
“Where are the human rights of those who were burnt to death?”
She said the government also has the records of those who gave such advice and orders.
Referring to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Hasina said, “Has the opposition leader forgotten the 1/11 incident when her two sons were driven out of the country after a good beating? How, can she forget the 1/11 episode… Ijjuddin, Moeenuddin and Fakhruddin? It’s all her creation.”
Mentioning atrocities and oppression carried out by BNP during its terms, the premier alleged that BNP had unleashed torture, oppression and killing on the country’s people, calling out the army in the name of ‘Operation Clean Heart’.
She said then they created Rab and killed some 2,500 people in just one year introducing ‘crossfire’ in the country.
Mentioning that the Awami League is trying hard to strengthen democracy, Hasina claimed that there was no single incident of killing and accident during any of the 5,175 elections held under the present government.
“There was no free, fair and neutral election under any government in the past except AL. Everything will be done according to people’s will and we’ve given this right to our people.”
The prime minister also asked her party leaders and workers to uphold the dignity of the confidence the country’s people reposed on Awami League handing it a landslide victory in the last general election in 2008.
Making a scathing attack on late president Ziaur Rahman, Hasina said Zia had patronised the anti-liberation forces in the country, killed several thousand military and air force officers and soldiers and sent many AL leaders and activists to jail.
After the assassination of Bangabandhu along with most of his family members in 1975 and the killing of four national leaders in jail, the constitution of the country has been desecrated, pushing the country to a different direction, she said.
But after wining over two-thirds majority this time, the prime minister said, her government has restored the spirit of the Liberation War through the 15th amendment of the constitution.
Listing various development activities taken by her government,
Hasina mentioned that her government has been able to reduce the child and maternal mortality rates, poverty rate by 10 percent, increase literacy rate, establish good governance and expand the social safety net programmes.
She also expressed her strong commitment to build a hunger- and poverty-free ‘Sonar Bangla’ by 2021 and turn the country into a middle-income one.
Office bearers and members of the Awami League Central Working Committee, advisory council, executive committee of Meherpur district unit, national committee members, lawmakers of the party, administrator of Meherpur District Council, presidents and general secretaries of upazila, thana, union and municipal units and upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen of the party, mayors and councillors of municipalities, chairmen of the union councils and presidents and general secretaries of the associate and like- minded bodies of the Meherpur district unit Awami League attended the meeting.
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