Next polls would be held in free, fair and neutral manner: PM
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
DHAKA, May 26 (BSS)-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today categorically said the next general election would be held in free, fair and neutral manner and none would make any interference in the polls.
"If Awami League could arrange 5,175 elections, including 12 by-polls, city corporation, pourasabha, upazila parishad and union parishad polls in free, fair and neutral manner, why the next general election would not be held is such a manner," she questioned?
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League chief, said the administration as well as the law enforcement agencies would remain under the Election Commission during the election period. So there is no scope for making any interference in the polls, she said.
The Awami League chief said this while addressing a view- exchange meeting with the grassroots leaders of Meherpur District Awami League at her official Ganobhaban residence here.
The meeting was organised as part of a series of view- exchange meetings between Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and the grassroots-level leaders and workers of her party initiated at the end of last year.
Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, AL Presidium Members Kazi Jafarullah and Aktaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu and Joint General Secretary Mahbubub-ul Alam Hanif were present at the meeting, among others.
Besides, office bearers of Meherpur district unit, 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 of Awami League attended the meeting.
The Prime Minister was critical about those who slated the government for arrest of the opposition leaders for their involvement in killing, vandalism and arson during the hartal and terming (the opposition leaders) arrest and sending them to jail as human rights violation.
"Why the trial of those who burnt people to death and vandalized vehicles during the hartal could not be held. Is it not the violation of human rights of the driver who was burnt to death when asleep inside a bus during the hartal and is it not the violation of human rights of those whose vehicles were torched or ransacked," she questioned?
She said burning people to death and carrying out terrorist activities like arson and vandalizing are the characteristics of the opposition. They earlier killed 11 persons by torching a BRTC double-decker bus in front of Sakura Hotel in the capital, she mentioned.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has been working to strengthen all democratic institutions including the Election Commission as Awami League believes in democracy and people's empowerment.
"The people are the source of all power and whatever they want, that will happen," she said.
About the opposition's demand for restoration of the caretaker government system, the Prime Minister said the people of the country did not forget the torture and repression of the last caretaker government. Politicians, students, teachers and businessmen had become the victims of their torture, she said.
She said the last caretaker government sent Begum Khaleda Zia's two sons abroad after giving them a good beating. Can you confirm that the next caretaker government will not hang them after bringing them back from abroad, she said
Referring to the atrocities made on the opposition leaders and workers during the rule of the past BNP-Jamaat four-party alliance government, Sheikh Hasina said the people of all classes and professions had become the victims of their killing, torture and rape.
The cadres of BNP-Jamaat unleashed a reign of terror by carrying out brutal torture and repression on the Awami League leaders and workers like the Pakistani occupation forces, she said, adding 21,000 AL leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman, SAMS Kibria and Ahsanullah Master were killed during their misrule.
The Prime Minister said the country was turned into a sanctuary for terrorists and militants like Bangla Bhai from 2001 to 2006 due to patronization of the four- party alliance government.
"The country was also recognized as a corrupt country in the world during the period due to unbridled corruption of the BNP- Jamaat government," she said.
She said after the general election in 2001, the wheel of the development was diverted to the opposite direction and people of the country, especially those of the southern region, could never forget the atrocities on Awami League workers and supporters by the cadres of BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
Sheikh Hasina said after voted to power in 2008, the Awami League did not take any revenge against the opposition leaders and workers as it always believes in democratic culture. Rather the party enforced all its strength for development of the country, she said
"Awami League is a party of the common people and it always works for the welfare of the people. When AL comes to power the country is awarded and people get something. On the other hand, when BNP goes to power the country is reprimanded and people get nothing," she said.
The Prime Minister highlighted tremendous success of the government in the fields of agriculture, education, health, power, women empowerment and food security.
We have brought radical changes in the country's socioeconomic development as we want to establish Bangladesh as a self-dignified nation in the world, she said.
She also asked the leaders and workers of the party to highlight the successes and development programmes of the government before the people side by side strengthening the organisation.
