Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday emphatically said that the present government has no intention to ban rallies or meetings of individuals or organizations. The intending persons or individuals would be able to stage rallies in designated areas provided they promise to hold their programmes in a peaceful manner, she told the Parliament in response to a question from BNP lawmaker AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon. The prime minister said: “As per article 37 of the Constitution, every citizen shall have the right to assemble and participate in public meetings and processions peacefully and without arms, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order or public health.”
Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken multifarious measures to further consolidate Bangladesh’s relations with all countries of the world including the neighboring nations of South Asia. She said friendship with all these countries including the South Asian regional nations significantly deepened over the last four years.
Replying to another question in the House, the prime minister said the already existing good relations between Bangladesh and European nations including Russia have expanded in many fields, the prime minister informed the Parliament adding that Bangladesh’s relations with the Middle Eastern countries also improved remarkably. The already warm friendship between Bangladesh and China has reached a new height, she added.
The prime minister further told the House during the question-answer session that Bangladesh has played a pioneering role in consolidating democratic values and practice at the regional level being motivated by a deep commitment towards democracy.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaged in achieving worldwide recognition to all efforts of Bangladesh at the international levels for establishment of democracy, human rights, peace and security,” she
added. The prime minister said that the Foreign Ministry has also played a special role in explaining the transparency, impartiality, legality of the ongoing war crimes trial to the international community and gaining acceptability for it in keeping with Bangladesh’s continued efforts to safeguard human rights and rule of law.
Replying to a question from Shamsul Huq Chowdhury, a lawmaker from Chittagong-11, Sheikh Hasina said the present government has undertaken stern measures for combating terrorism in the country and added that they have adopted a “zero tolerance” policy for prevention of terrorist activities.
In this connection, the prime minister pointed out that Bangladesh is simultaneously working with the United Nations and other international organizations as equal partners in every step undertaken by them for the prevention of terrorism at the regional and international levels.
By promulgating the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009 and Anti-Money Laundering Act and adopting the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill-2013 recently at the Parliament, Bangladesh has succeeded in controlling funding of the terrorist organizations which promoted a positive image of Bangladesh in the outside world, she noted.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has again rejected the demand for the caretaker government for conducting the next general elections in the country, expressing her fear that it would never be possible to remove such government once it returns to the state power.
Responding to a statement made by opposition BNP lawmaker Barrister Moudud Ahmed, the prime minister told the Parliament on Wednesday that in 2007 the caretaker government was formed for only three months but it managed to stay in power for as long as two years.
Sheikh Hasina said the caretaker government ruled the country for such a long time even though it was constituted for just 90 days. If the caretaker government comes to power again, it may not be possible to get it out of power. “It may so happen that the caretaker government will be formed but there will be no election in the country,” she observed.
The prime minister said when the last caretaker government was formed in the country, many internationally reputed lawyers said that the “Fakhruddin-Mainuddin” government would be able to stay in power indefinitely.
-With The Independent input
