Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday categorically said the next general election will be free and fair, and her party will accept the people’s mandate.
“The next election will be free and neutral…people will cast their votes in the polls for their favourite candidates, and we’ll accept the results,” she told a function after inaugurating the 3.1-km Kuril flyover.
Hasina said votes belong to people and they will exercise their franchise freely. “It’s their constitutional right. What we can do if people cast their votes for the corrupt and terrorists ignoring the patriots and honest candidates! We’ve nothing to say,” she said.
The Prime Minister urged people to cast their votes in favour of patriots, honest and pro-development candidates.
Referring to the elections held under the current government, she said no one could raise any question about those polls.
“In the recent five city corporation elections, our candidates got defeated despite being the ruling party-backed hopefuls,” she said adding that the government did not try to win the polls through rigging.
Underscoring the need for the continuation of the government to finish its incomplete development works, Hasina sought the support of people so that her party can return to power.
“We’re trying hard for the country’s overall development. The continuation of the government is a must for development,” she said wondering whether people want to go back to the time of corruption and black money.
Referring to the opposition leader’s speech to govern the country ‘in a newer way’, Hasina said the opposition leader will, in fact, find out a new way for corruption and run the country by opening a new ‘Hawa Bhaban’. “The question is: Whether will we go to that era of darkness or to the path of shiny sunlight?”
Talking about the construction of Padma Bridge, the premier said the tender for its construction works has been floated and the bridge will be built with the country’s own resources.
Recalling the widespread corruption by the BNP-Jamaat alliance government after 2011, Hasina said at that time the World Bank had stopped funding for roads and bridges.
The Prime Minister said her government has taken various initiatives, including construction of flyovers, elevated expressways, ring roads and introduction of commuter trains and waterways under Strategic Transport Plan for the capital.
Hasina termed the flyover as a new milestone in the development of Dhaka city’s communication network and urged all to come forward along with the government to protect the pleasant beauties and environment of the capital.
She mentioned that this flyover is a new gateway to Dhaka city and hoped that it would create fastest communication system with many parts of the adjacent area, including Purbachal.
To turn capital Dhaka a modern and traffic congestion-free city, he said, the Mirpur-Airport road flyover and Banani overpass and link road have already been opened to traffic.
Hasina said construction work on Jatrabari Flyover is nearing completion while that on 26-km long elevated expressway in progress.
Besides, she said, massive programmes, including Hatirjheel project have been implemented to increase various facilities for the city dwellers through planned urbanisation, removing water logging and stopping environmental pollution.
Referring to ‘tremendous’ successes made in the power and energy sector, Sheikh Hasina said electricity generation has risen to 6675 MW from 3200 MW in 2009 while gas production increased remarkably during last four and half years.
Posts and Telecommunication Minister Advocate Shahara Khatun, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, Local MP AKM Rahmatullah and Rajuk Chairman Engineer Mohammad Nurul Huda also spoke on the occasion.
The 8.9-metre wide and 14.6-metre high flyover has been constructed on Kuril Biswa Road with a hope that traffic congestions in adjoining areas will ease to a great extent.
It comprises four sections providing uninterrupted connections to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Nikunja, Banani, Rampura and Purbachal areas.
Project Builders Limited and China Major Bridge Engineering Corporation jointly built the flyover at a cost of Tk 306 crore, provided by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
According to a Rajuk estimate of 2007, around 1,57,000 vehicles coming from the five aforementioned areas crosses the Kuril intersection every day.
At present, a level crossing at the intersection closes 98 times a day, halting traffic for eight hours and creating around one-km long tailbacks in the five directions.
The flyover would help ensure the uninterrupted movement of traffic, saving valuable time and fuel of commuters, according to Rajuk officials.
The present government approved the project, initially estimated to cost Tk 153 crore, in March 2010 and it was scheduled to be opened to traffic in December 2012.
The opening was deferred twice, in March and June, while the costs doubled which Rajuk blames on frequent hartals and failure to acquire lands in time.
The flyover’s foundation stone was laid by former caretaker government chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on December 17, 2008.
Source: UNBConnect