Prime minister Sheikh Hasina speaks at a news conference at Ganabhaban on Saturday.
Hungary tour opens up new horizon: PM
Mentioning that she has little interest in Khaleda Zia’s proposals for the Election Commission’s reconstitution, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the BNP chief should have apologised to the nation before going for that.
‘They didn’t take part in the (last general) election…then they tried to oust the government by burning people to death in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She should’ve apologised to the nation before placing any proposal,’ she said.
The prime minister came up with the remarks at a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganobhaban on the occasion of her just concluded Hungary and Morocco visits.
‘She (Khaleda) has made her proposal; now she can tell the president about it, and he’ll take the decision…we’ve nothing to say…,’ she said adding that according to the rules the president would consider their proposal.
Hasina, however, said there is nothing to be serious about the proposal of Khaleda Zia as her proposals have noting important. ‘I cannot find the head and toe of her proposals.’
She said the election commission was constituted in 2008 by the then president in line with the BNP’s demand while the current commission was also constituted by the president by picking up its members through a search committee.
‘The same procedure is being followed this time. Here the government has nothing to do in the process . . . (however) I don’t know whether her (Khaleda) proposal contains any substance at all,’ the PM said.
She said Begum Zia first had taken the decision to stay away from the election, then waged a violent nationwide campaign to unseat the government and now came up with the proposals. ‘She didn’t participate in the election… being a party and leader of the party she refrained from the election by taking a wrong decision.’
The prime minister said BNP leaders also should recall their ploy to manipulate polls when they were in power.
Recalling the horrible days when BNP and its allies went for destructive politics in the name of anti-government movement and resist the election and killed hundreds of people hurling petrol bombs, Hasina said, ‘Let’s count carefully how many people she killed.’
Talking about the incidents after death of Khaleda Zia’s son Koko, the prime minister said, ‘I went there to console her, but I was not allowed to enter her home. Both the doors of her home were shut. What an audacity!’
Hasina said she has no interest in the proposals placed by such people.
The prime minister also mentioned that BNP is still in dilemma whether it will participate in the election. ‘Today, they’ll participate in one election and boycott another tomorrow….they have no consistency in their decisions.’
Meanwhile, the prime minister said her recent visit to Hungary has infused new dynamism in the stagnant bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Hungary and opened up a new horizon of potentials to elevate the existing relations to a new height.
The prime minister came up with the remarks at the news conference.
She said through her participation in Budapest Water Summit and Marrakech Climate conference, Bangladesh has been able to highlight its strong leadership in the international arena on water management as well as country’s firm stance to face climate change.
‘It was the first official tour of any head of the government of Bangladesh to Hungary,’ she said adding that Hungary was one of the first countries that recognised Bangladesh as an independent country.
Sheikh Hasina said during the four-day visit she joined the inaugural ceremony of the Budapest Water Summit-2016 held in the Hungarian capital and delivered speeches there.
At the Summit, the PM said, she apprised the world leaders about the steps taken by the Bangladesh government to reduce global warming and adaptation to face losses due to climate change.
Saying that Bangladesh is now recognised as a role model in facing adverse impact of climate change and on natural disaster management, Hasina underscored the need for proper water management to ensure safe water and sanitation facilities for all.
The prime minister said she made fervent call to the world leaders to create global fund on water to support research, innovation and technology transfer to realise the water related goals and give special focus on climate refuges.
At the inaugural ceremony of the summit, she urged the world leaders to comprehensively address issues like protection, conservation and utilisation of water resources through global efforts.
She placed a seven-point agenda and called upon the leaders to include water related issues in their development policy of their respective countries.
About the bilateral talks with the Hungarian prime minister she said they held discussions on various bilateral, regional and international issues, including water resources management, trade and commerce, agriculture, education.
During the meeting, the Hungarian prime minister announced to provide scholarships to 100 students every year, particularly on medicine, agriculture and technology sectors, she said.
Besides, they agreed to work together on new areas including the expansion of trade and investment, as well as on water resources management and agriculture, she added.
The prime minister said she also invited her Hungarian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time which he accepted.
Following fruitful talks, she said, Bangladesh and Hungary jointly signed three Memorandum of Understandings on cooperation on agriculture and water management as well as on foreign office consultations between the two countries.
The prime minister said she with her Hungarian counterpart also joined the concluding session of the Bangladesh-Hungary Business and Economic Forum.
In his speech at the function, the Hungarian prime minister highly praised economic development activities that took place in Bangladesh during the present government, she said.
The prime minister said she highlighted the trade and investment potentialities of Bangladesh that exists in geo-economical strategic position and urged the Hungarian businessmen to utilise existing facilities for trade and investment.
About the high-level segment of the COP22 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Marrakech in Morocco, Hasina said, she reiterated Bangladesh’s firm stance and determination to combat climate change.
She also urged the world leaders to undertake joint efforts and consolidate partnerships to fight against the perilous threats of climate change.
Source: New Age
