Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that she would never bow down to any foreign pressure as the people were her strength, reiterating to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner.
‘You have to keep one thing in mind that there is no such pressure that can pressurise Sheikh Hasina,’ she said in reply to the question – whether she is feeling any foreign pressure over the next general election in the context that the BNP has been lobbying foreigners and publication of an advertisement with the statement of 40 global personalities regarding Yunus.
While briefing the media about her recent official visits to Qatar, the prime minister said that she never bothers any pressure.
She added, ‘My power is only my people – nothing to happen to us whatever pressure is given by whom. We will do whatever is required for the welfare of the people.’
In this context, she said that her government had constructed the Padma Bridge with its own finance, confronting all the hurdles, adding, ‘I have endured that pressure.’
The prime minister said that they had received numerous phone calls from ambassadors to foreign minister and from different countries to keep a person managing director of a bank though Bangladesh’s existing laws do not permit a person to stay as MD after 60 years of age.
She questioned why a person wants to stay as MD violating the country’s law and what his benefit is.
‘There might be one benefit of staying as MD and that is acquiring a lot of money and laundering that,’ she said.
About publishing an advertisement in the Washington Post in favour of Yunus, Sheikh Hasina questioned why an advertisement was published in a foreign newspaper in favour of a person who is famous as well as a Nobel laureate.
The prime minister said that she could not do anything as the head of the government as there are laws and courts to deal with labour rights and tax evasion.
‘If anyone breaches the laws, the court will look into the matter and what can I do as the head of the government?’ she added.
She expressed her doubt about the motive of the advertisement published before the next general election.
Road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, MP, deputy leader of the House Matia Chowdhury, MP, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and commerce minister Tipu Munshi were present on the dais.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim moderated the programme.
Earlier on March 8, the prime minister returned home from Doha, the capital of Qatar, after attending the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5: From Potential to Prosperity).
Sheikh Hasina, also president of the Awami League, clarified her stance that no dialogue would be held before the next general election, saying, ‘With whom we will hold the dialogue.’
Mentioning that they held dialogue before the 2018 election and the BNP gave nominations after taking money and withdrawing their candidates, she questioned, ‘What was the result of that dialogue?’
‘Whatever we did, we did it for the welfare of the people,’ she said.
Recalling the assassination of her father, mother and brothers on August 15 in 1975 and her humiliation by Khaleda Zia when she had gone to console the BNP chairperson over the death of her younger son Koko, the prime minister said, ‘Why dialogue to be held with those who humiliated me so badly?’
The prime minister questioned if there is anyone who is willing to take part in dialogue with killers of his or her parents.
About measures to clear the countrymen about the motive of the BNP to make the next election questionable, she said, ‘Many local and international agencies have been working to make the election questionable.’
The prime minister said that her government made the Election Commission completely independent financially and institutionally and enacted a law to this end so the commission could hold a free and fair election.
Besides, voter list with photographs and transparent ballot boxes have been introduced so that none can manipulate the election, she said.
She reminded all that BNP had prepared a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters, saying that the Awami League has established the rights of vote in the country.
The prime minister said that they elected a politically conscious, patriot and dutiful person as the country’s next president under whom the next election would be fair.
‘We want the next election to be free and fair as we have struggled for democracy,’ she said.
The prime minister said that the Awami League government proved that they could hold a free, fair and peaceful election by holding the local government and by-elections and none could raise questions about its objectivity. She questioned that else they had to prove in this regard.
She reiterated that if the people wanted to see the Awami League in power again then they would remain in power, otherwise not.
The prime minister said that the BNP led 20-party alliance had got only 30 seats while the AL led grand alliance bagged 270 seats in 2008 election which was considered as the fairest election.
She said that a vested quarter was trying to create an unstable situation ahead of the election.
The prime minister said that a free, fair and impartial election was required for continuation of the stability and thus the development and progress of the country.
‘Currently, there is no chance of vote rigging as we have given a voter list with pictures through introducing smart NID cards for the citizens leaving no scope to cast votes by fake voters. We wanted to vote through EVMs, but many objected. The Election Commission will use EVMs as much as possible. Voters will vote through the modern technology,’ she continued.
Briefly describing her government measures for making Bangladesh a role model for development on the world stage in the last 14 years, she said that the people wanted the Awami League in power again.
Referring to some statements made by the inhabitants of Bogura, the stronghold of the BNP, she said that the people of Bogura were even saying they are in good condition during the current tenure of the AL government and the government should stay in power.
This article originally published in Dhaka based Newspaper New Age.
