“We’ve to start a system where there’ll be no unelected person in power to ensure unhindered democracy in the country,” she said at a views-exchange meeting with the grassroots leaders of Awami League from Madaripur district at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Hasina said that the next general election will be held to continue the democratic process in the country.
Mentioning that unelected persons will not be able to bring anything good for the democratic system, she said: “It won’t be helpful if any unelected person is brought in the process.”
Terming the opposition demand for the restoration of the caretaker system illogical, the Prime Minister said the next general election in the country will be held as in other countries of the world having parliamentary democracy. “There had been so many trials with the country’s elections in the past.”
She said: “The country has witnessed how people were oppressed during the election period; how polling centers were captured, how ballot papers got sealed and how ballot boxes were stuffed.”
In the past, Hasina also mentioned, the country witnessed how the election results were changed and how the minority community driven away from polling centers.
“We always see the election as the right of people. That person will win who gets the votes of people; this is our last word. The voting right of people is the constitutional right,” she said.
The government wants to establish the system where the rights of people will remain in their hands, she said requesting the opposition leader to join the Parliament session and speak up there whatever she likes. “Please, join parliament, please speak up there.”
She also mentioned that the opposition has no option to avoid this parliament session as they are on the edge to lose their membership.
“You’ve no other way to skip the parliament session as you know you’ll lose your seats.”
Hasina also mentioned that the opposition leader knows it very well what will happen if they fail to retain their parliament membership. “And you know it very well what will happen if you lose your seat,” the premier reminded the opposition leader.
The Prime Minister called upon the people of the country to unitedly resist the patrons of terrorists and militants as well as those who were involved in massive corruption, money laundering and killing in the past.
The present government has stopped the path of capturing state power through unconstitutional and undemocratic means, she said urging people to remain vigil so that no one could foil the country’s democratic process.
Criticizing the leader of the opposition for her role in creating anarchy in the name of movement, Sheikh Hasina said, the BNP leader joining hands with Jamaat-Shibir and Hefajat wanted to topple the elected government.
She mentioned that BNP and Jamaat activists along with Hefajat followers burned hundreds of copies of the holy Quran on May 5. “Such heinous acts never happened in the past.
Sheikh Hasina called upon all to stand firmly against those committing such misdeeds so that no one could commit any more fraud with the common people in the name of Islam.
She alleged that Jamaat-Shibir activists began vandalism, setting fire to buses, trains and killing innocent people, including bus and CNG drivers with the help of the BNP Leader and her party.
Hasina said when people remain in peace and happiness in a democratic environment, the leader of the opposition and her allies begin conspiring to destabilise the country.
Referring to the ongoing trial of war criminals, she said the tribunals began pronouncing their verdicts and the present government will surely execute those.
Hasina, however, alleged that the opposition leader has got desperate to save the war criminals. “She started killing people just to save the war criminals.”
Listing the various development programmes implemented by her government in education, healthcare, ICT, road communications and other infrastructural sectors, the Prime Minister said the country is moving towards development and prosperity.
Besides, she said, the poverty level has marked a fall as a social safety net has been established in the country through providing various allowances and creating new employment opportunities for over 90 lakh people, she said.
Hasina mentioned that the present government distributed free textbooks up to secondary level students and ensured reaching healthcare and ICT services to the doorsteps of rural people.
The Prime Minister called upon all to work together for developing the country with the spirit of Liberation War and establishing Bangladesh as a middle-income country by 2021.
Deputy Leader of Jatiya Sangsad Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education Dr Alauddin Ahmed and Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif were, among others, present.
