Nobody can say election was rigged

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said no one can question the 12th parliamentary election as it was held in a free, fair, and neutral manner.

“Nobody can say ballots were cast at night instead of daytime or votes were rigged during this election. This is because the election was held in a very transparent, free, and neutral manner,” she said.

Addressing a rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, the premier said her government never interfered in the Election Commission’s activities, rather it assisted the commission.

Hasina, also the Awami League president, thanked the administration, law enforcement agencies and the armed forces for assisting the EC in holding the election in a free and fair manner.

She said nobody can hinder the country’s advancement as her party is assuming power again following a landslide victory in the January 7 polls.

The AL organised the rally, with the party president in the chair, to mark the historic homecoming day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after the Liberation War.

The PM said many wanted to stop this election, but failed.

“The voter turnout in this election is 41.8 percent which is a very big matter because attempts were made to prevent voters from casting votes.”

Hasina said a particular party was trying to resist the polls when the AL and like-minded parties participated in it.

She said people’s power is the greatest, which has been proved once again.

Coming down heavily on the critics of the government, the PM said they kept mum when the military dictators had assumed power by rigging votes. “But now they question our democracy and elections when we have established democracy and the voting rights of the people.”

The AL chief said her party has consolidated democracy, and the socioeconomic condition of the country has improved, poverty rate declined and per capita income went up as the democratic trend continued for a long time.

She expressed her gratitude to the people for voting her party spontaneously.

Referring to the BNP, Hasina said the party tried to keep the voters from casting ballots and the government did not obstruct their campaign.

“But the people of Bangladesh participated in the election and voted for the Awami League overcoming obstructions and fears …. People cast ballots spontaneously also in rural areas.”

Talking about Bangabandhu’s homecoming day, the PM said his speech delivered on January 10, 1972, at the Suhrawardy Udyan (erstwhile Race Course ground) is a historic document.

“The father of the nation in his speech gave all the guidelines on how an independent Bangladesh would be run in future,” she said.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader, presidium members Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Qamrul Islam, among others, spoke at the rally.

Quader on the AL’s behalf greeted the party chief with flowers for its landslide victory in the January 7 polls.

Bangabandhu returned to independent Bangladesh on January 10, 1972, via London and New Delhi after 290 days of his confinement in a Pakistan jail during the Liberation War.