Noting that the city corporation elections were held in a fair and peaceful manner, prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Wednesday said that the residents of Dhaka and Chittagong have rejected Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and the country’s people would reject them in the future, too.
‘The residents of Dhaka and Chittagong have rejected them (BNP through city polls) and the country’s people will also reject them in the future. I want no one to unleash such nasty politics or play with the fate of people, and stop people’s livelihood earnings,’ she said, reports United News of Bangladesh.
The prime minister said this after distributing financial assistance between the family members of the deceased of petrol bomb attacks alongside the injured and burned by the BNP-Jamaat over the last three months since January.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Moshiur Rahman Ranga and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam were, among others, present.
Besides, the Prime Minister provided financial assistance to the affected people and damaged vehicle owners during the BNP-Jamaat mayhem.
Turning to the elections to Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation where all the Awami League-backed candidates came out successful, she said these city corporation polls were held in a fair and free manner as people cast their votes peacefully.
Hasina alleged that BNP’s motive was to boycott the election through committing killings and subversive acts. ‘But, our law enforcement agencies were vigilant enough…but they (BNP) boycotted the election on their own although they got votes which they cannot deny.’
The prime minister urged people to vent their hatred to such ‘ugly’ political outfit like BNP as they committed such heinous acts like burning people to death and causing damage to their lives and property under the directives of Khaleda Zia. ‘There should be nothing but hatred, hatred and hatred to them (BNP).’
Hasina wondered how people stand in favour of BNP and cast their votes for BNP and Khaleda Zia although the BNP men burned people to death during their hartal and blockade for three months, put obstruction to the livelihood of the common people, pushed the lives of some 15 lake SSC examinees to uncertainty, seriously affected the hard-earned people.
Hasina went on saying, ‘But, I’ve already directed to hunt down those criminals who have committed such subversive acts and ensure their trial through filling cases against them. If those offenders do not get punishment, they’ll repeat such subversive acts again in the future.’
Apparently taking a swipe at former Dhaka University vice chancellor Prof Emajuddin Ahmed without mentioning his name, the Prime Minister said he might have forgotten the parliament election in 1979, ‘Yes-No’ vote during Ziaur Rahman, Magura by-election, Dhaka by-election of Mosaddeq Ali Falu, saying that he perhaps does not see their own faults.
Compared to the last five city corporation elections, Hasina said, these three city corporation polls held on Tuesday were much more peaceful.
Hasina said there were some 2,700 polling centers during these polls, but voting only in two polling centers was postponed. Besides, there were some incidents because there were also councillor aspirant candidates alongside the mayoral ones, but the law enforcement agencies were vigilant enough for which they had been able to bring the situation under control.
In this regard, she said if it is compared with other countries of the world apart from Bangladesh, the percentage of incidents of violence was very negligible. ‘There were no vote rigging, there were no snatching of votes or putting obstruction in exercising voting rights.’
It was beyond her knowledge why BNP boycotted the polls within three hours of the voting had begun, Hasina said adding that the BNP-backed candidates both in Dhaka and Chittagong bagged over three lakh votes within three hours of the voting started.
‘It’s my question, if there was any vote rigging, then how could the BNP candidates got over three lakh votes in just three years?’ Hasina added.
She also suggested those who were very much vocal over these polls and analysed the polls that if there was any rigging then such number of votes could not be cast in favour of the BNP backed candidates.
The Prime Minster said she along with her party always do politics for the welfare of common people, but nothing could be so unfortunate than this if any vested quarter burn people to death and cause damage to public property in the name of politics.
She alleged that whenever BNP-Jamaat grabs power or even remain outside power, they could only unleash devastation, destruction and cause damage and harm to people. ‘I don’t know what kind of pleasure and satisfaction Khaleda Zia gets through causing harm and pain to people.’
But, Hasina said, Bangladesh Awami League, be it in power or outside power, always tries to stand beside the affected and common people and serving them as well as ensuring their welfare.
Source: New Age