Ruling out the possibility of bowing down to any sort of international pressure over the just held 10th parliamentary polls, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that her government will continue to work for the welfare of the country and its people.
“You know well that Sheikh Hasina does not succumb to any pressure, be it national or international. The country is ours and the people are also ours. We’ll continue the work as needed for the country and its people,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina made the observation while talking to the reporters at Bangabhaban in the afternoon after taking oath as the Prime Minister for the third time after her party, Awami League, swept to an absolute majority in the recently held national election.
The Prime Minister also sought cooperation of all to run the new government and reiterated her call to BNP to stop “destructive acts” which are impeding the normal life and livelihood of the people, and also sever its ties with Jamaat-e-Islam.
“We want cooperation of all to run the new government. I’ve told BNP earlier and tell them again to shun the destructive acts like enforcing hartals and blockades, burning people to death and felling trees, and also sever its ties with war criminal Jamaat,” she said.
Hasina said the BNP chairperson might have realized that she had committed a mistake by not joining the 10th parliamentary elections.
“She (Khaleda) might have realized that the advice she was given from whatever quarter not to join the polls proved not a good advice… I’ll expect she (Khaleda) will remain in the path of democracy reorganizing her party leaving the subversive, militant and terrorist activities,”
The Prime Minister mentioned that her government wants to create national consensus and understanding in a bid to save public life and property, ensure security of the minorities, halt political vengeance, maintain the flow of development, and keep trade, commerce, export and all political activities above all kinds of violent activities.
“We’ll take whatever steps are necessary to protect the public life and property, ensure peace and safeguard democracy. We want that political vengeance, terrorism and violence will be eliminated, and thus peace and security will prevail among common people,” she said.
In this regard, Hasina said that her government has been able to prove in the last five years that Bangladesh is capable of moving ahead economically. “We’re moving ahead, we’ll also move ahead in the coming days, Insha-Allah,”
About dialogue with BNP, she said her government may take any steps for the continuation of democracy. “We may take any steps for the continuation of democracy and we won’t face any trouble in this regard.”
She, however, said that for this, BNP will have to stop terrorist activities and militancy first, and also sever its ties with Jamaat.
About the Teesta water sharing agreement and enclave issues with India, the Prime Minister said the issue of land boundary agreement with India has already been resolved and a bill in this regard has been placed in the Indian parliament.
She said discussion with India about Teesta and enclave issues is underway. “West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was opposing the Teesta treaty as she might have been seeing the issue from her viewpoint. I think she should come forward with an attitude of understanding as a neighbour.
“Any problem could be resolved through bilateral discussion,” she said, adding: “I’ve no objection to talk to Mamata Banerjee,”
Terming the post-election violence in different parts of the country to ‘fulfill political vengeance by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir men as truly unfortunate’, Hasina said that her government wants peace and democratic stability instead of anarchy and uncertainty; maintain the pace of economic development instead of devastation and subversive activities.
“I know the people of all strata in the country want peace and the democratic process to continue…the democratic process will move the country ahead. We want the people to live in peace and security.”
Alleging that the then main opposition party BNP has not performed its duty properly in strengthening the democracy and maintaining the constitutional system, she said: “Had they (BNP) come to the election, then it could have been more competitive and the democracy could get a firm footing,”
Criticizing the role of the BNP chairperson for not responding to her repeated call for dialogue and instead giving ultimatums time and again to oust the government, the PM said: “Khaleda Zia had resorted to conflict, violence and terrorist activities, not going in the path of democracy, which was very unfortunate for the nation leading to the deaths of many people in violence.”
She strongly denounced the post-poll violence and oppression on the minorities in different parts of the country, saying it was very unfortunate that the miscreants also violated some women of the minority community.
The Prime Minister thanked the President, Election Commission, common voters including the first time voters, members of the law enforcing agencies, journalists, and the political leaders and activists of the political parties participating in the 10th election for playing their role.
Regarding the much-hyped Padma Bridge project, she said that the main bridge construction work will begin by next June while the trial of the war criminals will also continue and the verdicts executed one after another.
Source: UNB Connect
