BANGLADESH NEWS
Ruling Awami League is confident that it can win 170 seats in the next parliamentary elections of the 230 it bagged in the last polls while it is unsure about the remaining 60.
After a parliamentary party meeting of Awami League on Monday, several MPs preferring anonymity told bdnews24.com that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had asked them to be prepared for the next elections.
Parliament has a total of 300 seats.
They said Awami League General Secretary and Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam also gave them similar instructions.
"We've conducted survey through our party sources and government's intelligence agencies. In 30 seats [of the 230 Awami League got in the last polls], our position has weakened. We've 50-50 chance in 30 others," one of the MPs quoted Hasina as telling the parliamentary party meeting.
Hasina, who is also the president of the party, chaired the hour-long meeting held at the parliament building starting 4pm.
"We've good hold over the rest of the constituencies. However, it's still one-and-a-half years to the elections. The situation may change to some extent," the prime minister was quoted by another MP attending the meeting as saying.
Awami League secured a landslide victory with 230 seats in the last national elections held on Dec 29 in 2008.
Hasina asked the party MPs to prepare for the next elections after mentioning that, according to the constitution, the 10th national elections needed to be held before Jan 25 2014.
She advised the MPs to be in constant touch with their respective constituencies.
She also ordered feuding party leaders to go for reconciliation and work in tandem with each other if there was any misunderstanding among them.
"The prime minister has asked to highlight the government's development works before the people of the country," said Chief Whip Abdus Shahid after the meeting.
"Issues relating to preparation for the elections was also discussed. She has advised us to increase activities in our respective electoral areas. She has asked us to communicate with our party activists and leaders," Shahid added.
MP Subid Ali Bhuiyan also echoed the words of Shahid.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Amir Hossain Amu, ABM Anwarul Hoque, Abdullah Al Islam Jacob, ASM Firoz, Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Sadhan Majumder, Atiur Rahman Atik, Tarana Halim, Fazilatunnesa Indira and Kaiser Hasnat.
After a parliamentary party meeting of Awami League on Monday, several MPs preferring anonymity told bdnews24.com that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had asked them to be prepared for the next elections.
Parliament has a total of 300 seats.
They said Awami League General Secretary and Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam also gave them similar instructions.
"We've conducted survey through our party sources and government's intelligence agencies. In 30 seats [of the 230 Awami League got in the last polls], our position has weakened. We've 50-50 chance in 30 others," one of the MPs quoted Hasina as telling the parliamentary party meeting.
Hasina, who is also the president of the party, chaired the hour-long meeting held at the parliament building starting 4pm.
"We've good hold over the rest of the constituencies. However, it's still one-and-a-half years to the elections. The situation may change to some extent," the prime minister was quoted by another MP attending the meeting as saying.
Awami League secured a landslide victory with 230 seats in the last national elections held on Dec 29 in 2008.
Hasina asked the party MPs to prepare for the next elections after mentioning that, according to the constitution, the 10th national elections needed to be held before Jan 25 2014.
She advised the MPs to be in constant touch with their respective constituencies.
She also ordered feuding party leaders to go for reconciliation and work in tandem with each other if there was any misunderstanding among them.
"The prime minister has asked to highlight the government's development works before the people of the country," said Chief Whip Abdus Shahid after the meeting.
"Issues relating to preparation for the elections was also discussed. She has advised us to increase activities in our respective electoral areas. She has asked us to communicate with our party activists and leaders," Shahid added.
MP Subid Ali Bhuiyan also echoed the words of Shahid.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Amir Hossain Amu, ABM Anwarul Hoque, Abdullah Al Islam Jacob, ASM Firoz, Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Sadhan Majumder, Atiur Rahman Atik, Tarana Halim, Fazilatunnesa Indira and Kaiser Hasnat.
