The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, said on Thursday that her government would accept any decision to be made by president Abdul Hamid to reconstitute the Election Commission after consulting all parties.
In her valedictory speech of the 13th session of the 10th parliament, she also said that she wanted expeditious punishment for perpetrators of arson attacks that took place centring January 5, 2014 elections.
Criticising Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, the prime minister alleged that BNP had killed people in arson attacks to stop the election in 2014.
She said that BNP had staged a farce in the February 15, 1996 elections, rigged Magura and Mirpur by-polls and held questionable presidential election and referendum in 1978 and 1979.
‘It is really pity that now they talk about EC formation, forwards proposal,’said Hasina, adding, ‘Khaleda should apologise to the nation for her misdeed.’
She said, ‘I want expeditious punishment for perpetrators of killing people in arson…Cases were filed for the arson attacks I want quick disposal of the cases.’
Referring to BNP’s proposal on reconstitution of the Election Commission submitted to the president, Hasina said, ‘The president had taken initiative to hold dialogue on forming new commission…BNP’s proposals reached Bangabhaban…We will accept the decision to be made by the president.’
Sheikh Hasina also said that technical glitch in the Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying her was ‘human created.’
‘We had contacted with Boeing company and they replied that these kind of glitch did not take place in 6,000 aircrafts they were operating,’ she said.
‘I will not make any comments regarding technical glitch as the investigations are going on,’ she added.
The prime minister said that the government was making a list of people languishing in the jails for long awaiting trial. ‘Those who are criminals would be punished and those are innocent should be set free.’
On Rohingya issue, Hasina said, ‘People who have lost everything are coming to Bangladesh…We are providing shelter, food and medicine to them on humanitarian ground.’
She said that Bangladesh after summoning the Myanmar envoy in Dhaka already asked the Myanmar government to take appropriate steps so that their people did not need to enter Bangladesh.
Earlier, opposition leader in the parliament Raushon Ershad urged the government to consider the Rohingya issue on humanitarian ground and provide them with necessary help.
Raushon said that she was stunt to find that the United Nations and super powers of the world were yet to take initiative to resolve the Rohingya crisis. ‘Minority Muslims of Mynamar are facing atrocities but UN and super powers have taken no initiative so far,’ she said.
‘Why Nobel winner Aung San Suu Kyi and Muhammad Yunus are silent…The attack on humanity in Myanmar does not hurt their conscience,’ she asked.
Later the 13th session of the 10th Jatiya Sangsad was prorogued as speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the president after five sittings of the session that began on December 4.
Parliament passed five bills including the Bus Rapid Transit Bill.
Besides, 129 notices calling attention of ministers to different matters were received and six of them were discussed.
The speaker said that 94 questions were received for the prime minister’s question-answer time and she responded to 18. Besides 1,527 questions were received for ministers and state ministers who responded to 692 questions.
Source: New Age
