Criticising the opposition leader for not accepting her request over phone to withdraw the 60-hour shutdown that ultimately claimed 20 lives, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday alleged that her arch rival even shouted at her during the conversation.
“During the telephone conservation, I got heavy shouts from her …She even (Khaleda) didn’t accept my request for calling off the hartal,” the premier said.
She came up with the remarks while delivering her introductory remarks as a 12-member delegation of Jatiya Party (JP), led by its chairman Anwar Hossain Manju, met her at her official residence Ganobhaban at night. JP general secretary Sheikh Shahidul Islam was among the delegation members.
The Prime Minister said the opposition leader could not achieve anything from the 60-hour countrywide hartal other than leaving 20 people in widespread violence that also caused immense sufferings to the common people.
Referring to the opposition leader’s claim of terming the government illegal after October 25, Hasina said the head of the government, as per the constitution, would be there in office until the next successor takes over.
Sheikh Hasina reiterated her stance for forming an all-party polls-time interim government with representatives from the parties having representation to parliament.
Reaffirming her firm resolve to hold the next general election as per the constitution, Sheikh Hasina said the aim of her government is to establish a sustainable democratic process in the country through transfer of power as per the constitutional provisions.
Lamenting that the country did not witness peaceful changeover of power after the 1975 except in 2001, the Awami League chief said her party does not want any unconstitutional force to grab power in the future. “We want Bangladesh to be run constitutionally and there would be changeover of power as per the constitution.”
She mentioned that her government has brought the 15th amendment to the constitution and reestablished the parliamentary system of democracy. “We want to start at least the process of changeover of power in Bangladesh through constitutional process.”
In this connection, the premier noted that special attention was given while amending the constitution so that no one could grab power in future through killings and coups all of a sudden appearing before the TV claiming himself or herself as president.
“We want the pace of development to continue in the country turning Bangladesh into a prosperous middle-income one by 2021,” she added.
About fair polls, the prime minister referred to 5,777 elections held at different tiers during the tenure of the present government and said there had been no allegation against the elections. “We’ve introduced voter ID cards with photos, transparent ballot boxes……we’ve also accepted the people’s mandate and gave importance to their voting rights.”
Deploring the oppression carried out on cross-sections of people by military ruler Ziaur Rahman, previous BNP-Jamaat government and the successive army-backed caretaker governments, Hasina said the constitutional process should start from a certain point to leave a better country for the posterity.
Deputy leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Awami League Presidium member Begum Matia Chowdhury, Advisory Council members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sen Gupta, AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, PM’s advisers Dr Alauddin Ahmed, Dr Gowher Rizvi, and AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif were, among others, present.
Source: UNB Connect
ARROGANCE &OBDURACY ARE THE HERITAGE HASINA INHERITED FROM HER FATHER, “THE GREATEST BENGALI OF ALL TIME” as she claimed!
IS THE SPECTRE OF 1972-75 RETURNING BACK WITH A VENGEANCE THAT MIGHT PALE THE CARNAGE OF 1971? PEOPLE OF BANGLADESH ARE WORRIED SO IS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. Launching an undeclared crusade against Islam Hasina has dug her own political grave & it’s no good blaming the “JONOGON” for electing “CORRUPT, TERRORISTS AS MAYORS” despite her “doing so much for the people”, as HASINA lamented! She is crafty, she is cunning but not a fool. She knows full well like anyone else that without the participation of 18 party alliance an election if held, its result would not be acceptable. Who is playing ducks & drakes (CHINIMI-KHELA) with peoples destiny? NGO says, Since she came into power 4,789 Bangladeshis were killed, mostly by her politicized police,RAB,BGB & HER ARMED STUDENT CADRES including 57 top-ranking Army officers..