Wrapping up her seven-day visit to Europe, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday greeted her cabinet colleagues with the phrase “Haru Party” (defeated party).
The prime minister made the remark on Awami League’s defeat in Gazipur City Corporation elections while she was greeted by her cabinet colleagues at the Shahjalal International Airport.
Hasina returned home from Belarus after cutting short her visit. She left Dhaka last Thursday for an official visit to the UK and Belarus.
Hasina went abroad before the Gazipur City Corporation polls and came back after her party suffered a defeat by a huge margin.
The prime minister was looking cheerful and tension-free at the airport, said a minister who went to the airport to receive her.
Deputy Leader of House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddique, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Home Minister MK Alamgir, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan, Chief Whip Adbus Shahid and State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ministry AB Tajul Islam were present at the airport.
While talking to Aviation Minister Faruk Khan, Hasina expressed her frustration over the mismanagement of the airport and service of Biman, the national flag carrier.
“The duty- free shops only have a few items. Why people should buy from here if they don’t have adequate number of items?” she snapped at the minister.
But while talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Faruk Khan just said the prime minister had advised him to improve the service of Biman.
Sources said Chief Whip Abdus Shahid raised the issue of passing some bills in parliament, while at the airport. But Syed Ashraf reacted to his remarks, saying it was not the best time to talk about such issues.
Later in the evening Suranjit Sengupta went to Ganabhaban, the prime minister’s official residence but failed to gain an audience as Hasina was resting, Ganabhaban sources said.
Later AL leaders Matia Chowdhury, Syed Ashraf, Obaidul Quader, Sahara Khatun, Mahabub-Ul-Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanak went to Ganabhaban and discussed the present political situation with Hasina.
They raised the issue of the corruption survey by Transparency International Bangladesh, and criticised the graft watchdog.
The ruling Awami League leaders questioned the intention behind the TIB report, released just a couple of months before the national elections.
The TIB report released Tuesday identifies political parties and police as the most corrupt institutions in the country.
At the meeting Hasina asked her colleagues to find out why people did not vote for Azmat Ullah Khan, despite the government’s development activities.
A party leader then remarked that most of the AL councillor candidates had won in Gazipur.
According to sources a presidium member said Hefazat’s support to BNP, and the persuasion of voters using black money were the main reasons behind the defeat in Gazipur.
At the meeting, party presidium member Mohammad Nasim came under fire for his announcement of the 14-party candidate in Gazipur polls without consulting party high-ups and local leaders of Gazipur, sources confirmed.
Sources said at the meeting, the leaders observed that TIB had “performed the same drama before 2001 election, and was doing it again to harass politicians.”
At the meeting, Matia Chowdhury raised a question on the integrity of TIB saying: “The morality of those who undermine the country’s image using funds from abroad is questionable.”
AL leaders at the meeting also observed that some ill intent must be behind allegations against the police force, which is fighting to curb terrorism, militancy and very often coming under attack in broad daylight.
They also said politicians who are corrupt are winning the electoral battle, citing newly elected Gazipur mayor MA Mannan, as an example.
