Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday reaffirmed that the next election will be free, fair and credible, and hoped that the opposition will take part in the election where the people will freely exercise their franchise.
The Prime Minister came up with the reassurance when visiting US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal called on her at her official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon.
Biswal also hoped that the 10th general election of Bangladesh will be free, fair and a credible one to continue the democratic process of the country.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s deputy press secretary Bijan Lal
Dev said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and US assistance secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal discussed various issues of bilateral interest and common concern.
The Prime Minister told the US official that at present, the Election Commission, Human Rights Commission, Information Commission and media of the country are very strong, active and fully independent.
“The country now has a voter list with photographs. So, there is no scope for vote rigging,” she said.
Hasina mentioned that during the present government’s tenure a total of 5,828 various types of elections were held in the country where 64,060 public representatives have been elected.
“Each of these elections were free, fair, peaceful and neutral, and the government did not interfere with any activities of the Election Commission,” she said, adding that it was possible to hold free, fair and neutral elections under this government.
The Prime Minister said that the government is working tirelessly to strengthen the democracy and democratic institutions of the country.
Stressing the need for maintaining democratic process in the country, she said development will not be sustainable without democracy.
Mentioning that the voter list prepared during the previous BNP-Jamaat alliance government with over 1.23 crore spurious voters, Hasina said the Election Commission has introduced voter ID cards with photo putting a stop to any fraud voting.
Describing various steps of the government to strengthen the EC, she said the Commission is capable of holding free, fair and peaceful national election in the country.
About the suspension of GSP facilities on some products, the Prime Minister said the US decision has affected the poor workers for whom father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fought all his life and she also has been working with right earnest.
She said the minimum wage for the garment workers has been increased from Tk 1,600 to Tk 5,300 in less than last five years.
In this regard, she urged the US government to pursue with the buyers to increase the price of garment products to help further increase the wages of labours. She said the aim of her politics is to improve the living standard of the poor people.
Emphasizing regional cooperation, Hasina said that her government has been trying to strengthen regional relations to ensure welfare of the peoples in the region.
In this context, she mentioned that her government has been able to reduce poverty significantly and maintain over 6 percent GDP growth over last couple of years due to various pragmatic pro-people steps implemented during the period.
About the much talked TICFA, the Prime Minister said the government has already approved it and a Bangladesh delegation will soon visit the USA to this end.
During nearly one hour meeting, US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal said Bangladesh is a very important country in the region for mutual prosperity and security. The US-Bangladesh partnership is extraordinarily strong and productive.
In this regard, she mentioned that the trade in the South-East and South Asian region is very important for both the countries as Bangladesh is playing a key role when the global transformation is taking place.
Highly appreciating Bangladesh’s achievement in various sectors during the tenure of the present government, Biswal said the present government has achieved tremendous development in agriculture, and in strengthening research and addressing disasters.
On the RMG sector, she said: “You are doing unprecedented progress in the sector with united efforts and a young entrepreneurship has developed creating a new wave for this sector.”
Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary Shaikh Mohammad Wahid-uz Zaman and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena were, among others, present.
Source: UNBConnect
