‘Oppn leader wants to turn Bangladesh into a terror state’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to hold free and fair election, and there is no scope for the government to issue any directive in this regard. “It’s the responsibility of the Election Commission to hold local government, city corporation and parliament elections. There’s no scope for the government to issue directives to the Election Commission for holding any election in a fair and neutral manner. But the government gives all-out support to the Commission as per its demand for holding any election freely, fairly and neutrally, and it is committed to providing such assistance in the future, too,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina was answering to a starred question from AL MP Golam Dastagir Gazi (Narayanganj-1) during her question-answer session in Parliament.
Hasina mentioned some 5,778 different elections were held during the current tenure of the present government. “All elections were held freely, fairly, neutrally and peacefully.”
She mentioned that the government has taken various steps to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner, as it did for other elections in the past.
The Election Commission has been formed through a search committee for the first time and the government created 436 new posts in the Election Commission, and approved a new organisational structure for it, she told the House.
Hasina said the government takes quick action to deploy law enforcement officials as per the demand of Election Commission for creating a congenial atmosphere in respective election areas.
The premier said the government also appoints necessary number of judicial and executive magistrates in every election area so that the candidates abide by the election code of conduct.
She further said the government makes necessary monetary allocations for the Election as per its demand in addition to giving it financial freedom.
The Prime Minister said the government has endorsed the proposals that came from the Election Commission to make its laws and rules more time befitting.
Hasina told the House that the voter list has been updated with recent data while the electoral rolls of respective areas are being printed and published in CD form. The government has taken steps to procure 40,000 transparent ballot boxes, inerasable ink and other election-related materials as the number of voters and polling centers has increased.
Meanwhile, addressing the party’s grassroots level leaders at her official residence Ganobhaban she alleged that Begum Khaleda Zia wanted to turn Bangladesh into a nation where militant activities, confrontation and terrorism would become a common phenomenon.
“If the BNP comes to power again, it will turn the country into a militant state with the Hefazat and Jamaat. So, we will have to remain alert about Khaleda’s dream,” Hasina said.
Sheikh Hasina alleged that the BNP chairperson wanted to come to power, along with war criminals and extremists, in a bid to make the country a militant state.
Awami League leaders from different municipalities and upazilas of Faridpur, Chapainawabganj, Sherpur, Magura, Sunamganj, Kusthia, Chandpur and Barguna districts attended the meeting.
Among others, AL presidium members Sajeda Chowdhury, Matiya Chowdhury, Kazi Zafar, advisory council members Suranjit Sengupta and Satish Chandra Roy and joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif were present at the meeting.
Referring to explosions at Mufti Izharul Islam’s Madrasa in Chittagong, the Prime Minister said the Opposition leader is taking the help of those involved in making bombs and explosives.
“So, it is clear that she (Khaleda) wants to make the country into a militant state. What has she to say? Bomb and grenade making materials have been found in the Hefazat leader’s madrasa. Why were those being stockpiled,” Hasina asked.
She urged people to decide whether they wanted a militant state or not. “If they want such a country, they will vote for the BNP in the next poll and if they don’t want it, they will vote for the AL,” she said, adding that certainly they don’t want that Bangladesh becomes a state of terrorism.
Referring to hold a dialogue with the BNP, the Prime Minister said: “We urged the BNP to sit for talks to resolve the political stalemate, but it issued a 48-hour ultimatum. Actually, it does not want a dialogue.”
The Premier also alleged that BNP-Jamaat-Shibir and Hefazat men burnt hundreds of copies of the Holy Quran on the night of May 5, apart from setting fire to the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, on the directive of the BNP chief. “Those who indulge in politics in the name of Islam, how can they serve the religion by burning copies of the Holy book and setting fire to mosques,” she wondered.
-With The Independent input
