AL allowed all its aspirants to make polls participatory

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has said her party has allowed its aspirants to contest the national election so people can participate.

Addressing six public rallies in as many districts simultaneously through videoconferencing from Dhaka yesterday, she asked all candidates to go door-to-door to seek votes, reports BSS.

Those who will win people’s votes will be the MPs, Hasina said, joining the programme from the Dhaka district AL office in Tejgaon.

The prime minister said her party wants to secure democracy because if democracy prevails in a country, it advances rapidly.

Blasting the BNP for boycotting the election, she said, “The BNP does not take part in the polls. But they have unleashed arson attacks in the name of resisting elections like they did in 2013 and 2014.”

In this connection, Hasina mentioned the recent incidents of setting trains on fire and uprooting railway tracks.

She questioned the leadership of the BNP as its Chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman have been convicted by courts in different cases.

The AL chief alleged that Tarique is giving orders from London and the BNP leaders are killing people in Bangladesh, adds UNB.

Terming the BNP a terrorist party and Jamaat-e-Islami a party of war criminals, Hasina said, “We have to keep the country free from war criminals and terrorists so that the development continues.”

The premier highlighted the successes of the successive AL governments since 2009.

She said the country has changed a lot over the last 15 years because the AL has been in power during this period.

“We have earned the recognition as a developing nation. We will have to advance further.”

The AL president said the January 7 election will be fair, and the people will vote according to their choice.

The rallies, organised by the AL, were held at the Public Library field in Kushtia, Wazir Ali School and College field in Jhenidah, Satkhira Government High School in Satkhira, Zilla Stadium in Netrakona, and Sheikh Russell Stadium in Rangamati, as well as at the party offices in Bamna and Patharghata upazilas of Barguna.

Senior party leaders were present at the AL’s Dhaka office, while party nominees and other leaders attended the event from the six districts.