Criticizing the US visa policy, central leaders of the ruling Awami League on Saturday voiced concerns about alleged local and international conspiracies trying to rig the national polls and warned that any attempt to disrupt the election would be resisted.
The upcoming national parliamentary election will be held in January, as per the constitution, they stated at a peace rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
Dhaka city’s north and south units of Awami League arranged the rally to counter BNP’s demonstration on the streets.
Awami League Presidium Member Matia Chowdhury said the party is committed to safeguarding peace and countering the anarchy of BNP-Jamaat.
“Our single focus is to move the country forward. Under Sheikh Hasina's leadership, we aim to steer the country towards peace, progress, and prosperity,” she said.
“We need Sheikh Hasina's government repeatedly. We will make our slogan a reality by bringing her back to power,” she added.
Agriculture Minister and Awami League Presidium Member Dr Md Abdur Razzaque said: "We won independence by confronting those who did not support us during the Liberation War, who supplied weapons to the Pakistan army and sent the seventh fleet into our Bay of Bengal.
"Some countries and leaders in the Western world, who are being misled based on false information and are employing various tactics – we want to tell them that we were not defeated in 1971, we will not be now or in the future, and this assembly proves that” he added.
Presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak urged leaders and activists to remain vigilant, as the government is facing a challenging situation.
“Awami League is a party of the people. We have never sought power through conspiracy and believe in elections as the foundation of public support,” he said.
“No matter the conspiracies, under Sheikh Hasina's leadership, we will triumph over adversities in the elections,” he added.
Awami League Joint Secretary General Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif said: “Bangladesh is a sovereign nation. Therefore, imposing visa policy by a certain state is an insult to that sovereignty.”
“Our prime minister has said the Awami League government is committed to holding a free and fair election. Therefore, there is no reason for us to be concerned about visa policy,” he said, adding that those who want to hinder the election process should be worried about it instead.
The senior Awami League leader further said: "Those who are currently threatening to oppose the elections and are conspiring to rig them, the nation wants to see whether the US takes any punitive measures against them."
"The BNP is dreaming and believes that it will come to power through international conspiracies. We want to clearly state that the people are the true owners of power in this country. No foreign power can install anyone in power here,” he added.