Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said a clique was involved in a conspiracy to thwart the 10th parliamentary election scheduled to be held on January 5.
“There are people who are scared of democracy want to bring back 2007-like situation to destroy democracy,” she said while addressing election rallies in different parts of Dhaka city.
Sheikh Hasina, also Awami League president, took part in election campaigns for her party candidates Kamal Ahmed Majumdar for Dhaka 14 constituency, Ilias Uddin Mollah for Dhaka 16 and Shahara Khatun for Dhaka 18.
Party activists were seen joining the meetings riding on trucks chanting slogans in favour of their candidates.
Some people claiming to be intellectuals wanted to destroy democracy by floating Kings Party in 2007 and now they have become active again, she observed.
They are distinguished personalities but want to establish an undemocratic and unconstitutional government in the country.
She instructed her party members to go from door to door and to convince people to cast their votes.
The January 5 election is very important for the continuation of country’s democracy, she said seeking votes for party symbol Boat.
Expressing her gratitude to people for their valuable votes in the previous polls she said her government has developed every sector of the society and this time if she has another chance she will turn Bangladesh into a mid-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.
Describing her success she said her government has changed the face of Dhaka. She reiterated that the polls on January 5 will be free, fair and neutral.
Blasting the BNP Chairman Khaleda Zia the Awami League president said she [Khaleda Zia] was not joining the polls as the Jamaat was not able to contest the election.
She branded the Jamaat as a militant organisation for which, she said, the BNP leader has a soft corner.
In a note of warning the premier asked the leader of the opposition: “You can boycott the polls but who has given you the license to kill people in the name of resisting election?” She urged her party men to teach a proper lesson to those who want to resist the election.
Referring to her several initiatives to bring the opposition to a negotiation table she said: “I told her [Khaleda Zia] to join the election and wanted to talk to her but she did not respond.”
The prime minister in her speeches renewed her vows to trial those who have killed members of law enforcement agencies and burnt innocent people to death. “And Khaleda Zia will be made principle accused of those murders,” she said.