Won’t tolerate foreign meddling in Bangladesh polls: PM

Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today categorically said Bangladesh won’t accept any foreign meddling to the January 7 national polls.

“Those who are plotting (here) to thwart the election will have to face proper punishment one day. And anyone from international level comes to poke nose into (our affairs), we’ll not accept it. Bangladesh didn’t accept it in the past,” she said.

The AL chief made this remark while addressing a campaign rally at Sheikh Lutfor Rahman College ground in Gopalganj’s Kotalipara upazila.

Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana accompanied her sister Hasina at the rally in Kotalipara from a campaign rally in Tungipara.

Not mentioning the name of any foreign country that opposed the independence of Bangladesh, the AL president said those foreign powers failed during the Liberation War in 1971.

“We’ll show them that we can achieve victory in terms of economic progress,” she said.

The PM urged the new voters not to miss the chance of casting their first-time votes.

“Those who are new voters will have to help Bangladesh advance further on the development journey, maintaining the current pace of progress by casting vote for the ‘boat’ symbol and creating scope for Awami League to form the government,” she added.

The AL president said her party believes that the power of youth means the advancement of Bangladesh.

Noting that it is most unfortunate that the BNP-Jamaat group started unleashing arson violence and killing people, Hasina called upon all to resist such criminal acts.

“Catch those who burn, harm (people) or conspire to thwart the election and give them proper punishment, I would like to urge all to do it from your position and place,” she said.

Daily Star