Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday expressed her firm confidence about holding the next election in a free, fair and neutral manner, saying the polls would make Bangladesh’s democratic process and constitutional rule sustainable.
“We will have to uphold the constitution and to begin the practice of transferring power under a democratic process from a certain stage,” she told Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma in a meeting.
Hasina has been in New York on an eight-day official visit to attend the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed reporters after the meeting.
Hasina said nearly 6,000 elections at different tiers had been held in Bangladesh during the tenure of the present government, electing around 64,000 public representatives, and in many of the polls opposition candidates had defeated those from the ruling party.
She said no one could question the neutrality of those polls as the government had played a very fair role in the elections and had not intervened in the duties of the Election Commission. “The Election Commission in Bangladesh is now totally independent and is discharging its duties without any sort of government interference.”
Hasina reiterated that the EC would hold the next general election in a free, fair and fully neutral manner.
Abul Kalam Azad said the Commonwealth secretary general had renewed his invitation to the prime minister to attend the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in November.
Kamalesh told Hasina that her presence was important in the meeting, which would discuss the issue of climate financing for the member countries, particularly for the LDCs. Besides, the meeting would especially focus on poverty alleviation and the issue of inclusive development of the member states.