Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that the next general elections of Bangladesh will be held in such a manner which is followed by the United Kingdom and other democratic nations across the world.
“Our government would hold next general polls like in the UK and other democracies,” she said.
The prime minister said this when British Secretary of State William Hague called on her at her hotel suite in London on Thursday evening (local time).
After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed reporters.
Referring to the opposition’s demand for the restoration of the caretaker government system, Hasina said this system was declared unconstitutional by the country’s apex court and abolished through the 15th amendment to the constitution.
Stressing the need for continuation of democratic trend, the premier said desired development of a nation could not be possible without uninterrupted democracy.
Hasina said her government has strengthened democratic institutions including the Election Commission to stand democracy on a solid footing.
In this connection, she mentioned the holding of about 6,000 elections including recent four city corporation polls in a free, fair, neutral and peaceful manner.
“None could raise any allegation about the polls,” she said.
About the ongoing trial of war criminals, Hasina said the International Crimes Tribunals are doing good work by trying those who committed unpardonable crimes against humanity in 1971.
Referring to the recent violent acts of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefajat-e-Islam, Hasina said: “We cannot allow that as our government is against all forms of extremism.”
Talking about the present situation in the garment sector in Bangladesh, the prime minister said her government has taken various initiatives to ensure welfare of the country’s four million RMG workers.
“The present government has raised the salary of the workers by 80 percent,” she added.
About the recent RanaPlaza collapse in Savar, she said her government took the prompt action to rescue the workers trapped under the rubbles of the eight-storey building.
She said her government is providing financial assistance to the family members of RanaPlaza collapse victims.
The prime minister listed her government’s impressive successes in the fields of agriculture, health, education, food security, women empowerment and social safety net.
She thanked the British government for its help to Bangladesh in attaining some MDGs before 2015.
The British secretary of state praised tremendous development in various sectors in Bangladesh under the stewardship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Ambassador at Large M Ziauddin, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Britain Mohammed Mijarul Quayes and Press Secretary Abul Klam Azad were present.
Sheikh Hasina arrived here on Thursday on a five-day visit to the United Kingdom.
Source: The Daily Star
Her Royal Highness went to UK to attend her niece’s wedding with an entourage costing Bangladeshis a lot of money. So now she wants to make it look like an official visit. Her flying foreign minister and she keep flying all over the world with a big entourage basically on useless pursuits. She is comparing Bangladesh parliament to that like UK. In order to have a UK style parliament, she should have resigned as the party Chief when she lost the last election in 2001. She could still demonstrate it by resigning from the Chairmanship of her party if she loses the next election, handing over the party to other dignified party stalwarts. She should introduce “no confidence” votes in the parliament. She talks from both sides of her mouth. Someone got to tell her that she is a corrupt dictator. The sycophants and the communists around her make it look like a politburo. She should never utter the world democracy or democratically elected government; because she does not understand the meaning of it.