Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the people to extend their cooperation in holding the next general election in a free and fair manner through participation of all parties including those in opposition. “The government is determined to espouse democracy, political stability and economic progress in the country,” she said in a statement to the press from her office on Thursday after returning home from her recent trip to London and Belarus.
The prime minister greeted the newly elected mayors of the five city corporations including Gazipur and thanked all concerned including the people, election commission, political parties, administration and law enforcement agencies for their role in holding the civic polls in a fair manner.
Sheikh Hasina said it is the democracy and the people that won in the recently held fair elections of the five city corporations. These elections proved that it is possible to hold free and fair elections under the leadership of the Election Commission, she added.
The city corporation elections further proved that the administration and law-enforcement agencies can perform their electoral responsibilities in a neutral manner without any influence under the party government and the people can freely exercise their right of franchise, she said.
The prime minister said the people has regained their confidence in free and fair elections held under the present government and this confidence must not be let down. The government is determined to maintain the atmosphere for the fair elections in the country for the upcoming national polls, she reaffirmed. Sheikh Hasina said her government would continue to work for the fulfillment of the nation’s expectations showing full respect for the mandate of the people in the city corporations’ elections and correcting its own shortcomings if there are any.
The prime minister expressed her satisfaction at the activities of the leaders and workers of her ruling Awami League (AL) despite the defeat of the AL-backed candidates in the civic polls and asked them to unitedly work for the victory of the AL candidates in the forthcoming national elections.
The prime minister asked the party leaders and workers to work together burying their all differences and earn people’s confidence for the victory of the party as well as the grand alliance in all future elections for building a happy and prosperous Bangladesh based on the values of the Liberation War.
Sheikh Hasina said that despite opposition propaganda, baseless allegations and efforts to create controversy over elections, the government succeeded in holding the local government polls in a free, fair and neutral fashion and urged the opposition to end its propaganda, false accusations and violence.
-With The Independent input
