Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the BNP to contest the parliament polls, promising the Opposition a free and fair election.
“There will be no manipulations,” she said in her concluding address in the last session of the 9th parliament on Wednesday.
Hasina also reiterated her offer to the BNP and its allies to join the all-party interim cabinet for holding a free and fair poll.
Since the Election Commission would conduct the poll, there was no scope for malpractices as in the past, she said.
“Participate in the elections. Whoever people will vote for will win. There will be no manipulations so long as I am there. I have no intention of coming to power by rigging elections. There will be free and fair elections,” the Prime Minister said.
But Hasina was quick to quip – “She [Khaleda] will join the elections if she is confident of winning.”
“Though we are the single largest party in the Parliament, yet I had urged the Leader of the Opposition to send us the list of their members to be included in the all-party government. Tell us how many ministries and what portfolios you want. Come let us all organise the poll together,” she said.
“She [Leader of the Opposition] did not respond to my call. I am thankful to Jatiya Party…. Workers Party, Samyabadi Dal too are with us. If they [Opposition] had come, whatever doubts they have over the elections, would have been removed.”
The Prime Minister further criticised the BNP chief for questioning the conduct of the city corporation elections even after her party-backed candidates won them hands down.
“Flanked by victorious mayors, she has claimed that elections were not fair. How ridiculous! What does she wants? Does she want to thwart the democracy in the country? She wants the repetition of 2007-08 caretaker government. There will be no elections if that happens.”
She also pointed out that the Election Commission was not constituted by the AL-led government.
“It was the late President Zillur Rahman who constituted it through a search committee in consultations with all political parties, including the BNP,” she reminded.
“EC is functioning independently. It will continue to work independently even in the ensuing elections. All the ministries will be under EC’s control during the period of elections. The EC will have the power to transfer any officials,” she said.
Referring to her telephonic conversation with the Leader of the Opposition, Hasina said, “I had tolerated her outbursts. May Allah make me more tolerant.”
She said her offer for talks with the Opposition was still valid.
“You can come forward for talks whenever you want,” she said referring to BNP chairperson but came down heavily on the violent strikes by the Opposition.
She described the 15th constitutional amendment that scrapped the caretaker-government provision as historic.
After 15 August, 1975, Bangladeshis were deprived of their rights to vote for 38 years, she said.
“We want to guarantee the rights to vote.”
She vowed to leave behind an effective and independent election system for future generation.
“Our aim is to ensure that no unconstitutional authority should usurp power in future,” Hasina emphasized.
Source: Bd news24
