Bangladesh’s next national polls will be under AL govt: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today made it clear that the next general election in Bangladesh will be held under her Awami League government.

“So, under our government, election will definitely be free and fair,” she told a session titled “In conversation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina” at Qatar Economic Forum at the Raffles Hotel in Doha.

Haslinda Amin, editor-at-large of Qatar Economic Forum, anchored the session.

The prime minister’s assertion has come amid BNP and its allies launching a renewed campaign of street protests, asking her government to step down to pave the way for holding the next election under a neutral caretaker administration.

Bangladesh is due to go to polls by December this year or in the first week of next year.

Responding to a question, she said that after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, military dictators jeopardised all election processes.

“The election was just a game [then],” she said.

She recalled that she could only return to the country when the Awami League elected her as its president in 1981 in her absence.

“Since then, we started to struggle for restoring democracy and people’s right to vote. It was our struggle to ensure free and fair election. And we did it during our time in every election,” she said.

Regarding the BNP’s demand, Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said nobody raised any question about the 2008 election.

“What was the result then? The party [BNP] which is raising the question now got only 29 out of 300 seats in the parliament,” she said.

The prime minister that she was there to ensure people’s voting rights, because people should decide who will run the country.

“It is people’s power, I want to ensure people’s power. I am here not to grab power. Rather, I want to empower our people that they have the right to choose their government,” she said.

Replying to a question, Hasina mentioned that some parties have said they will not participate.

“How will they participate? Because during their time the country suffered a lot. Our people suffered. During their time terrorist activities increased. Everywhere there was corruption, nepotism and exploitation. They never bothered about the people. It was very difficult for our people to get one meal per day. That was the situation,” she said.