Rejecting any possibility of restoring the caretaker government system and further amendment to the constitution, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday once again said the next parliamentary polls would be held in line with the present constitutional provisions.
“I want to promise people of the country that the elections will be held as per the constitution and the new government will assume office according to people’s desire.
“I will not budge even an inch on this issue,” Hasina said at a press conference at her official residence Gano Bhaban on Sunday afternoon.
Asked if there was any possibility of further amendment to the constitution, the prime minister dismissed the idea, saying: “We want to lead you towards the light. Do you want to return to darkness again? Do you want military dictators to run the country? Have you forgotten what happened in 2007 and 2008?”
She said: “Parliament has already amended the constitution. There is no scope of debate in this regard as parliament passed the 15th amendment under the jurisdiction of apex court.”
Responding to another query as to whether she would head the polls-time interim government, the Awami League president only said everything would take place as per the constitution. “We do not want to retain power through rigging votes.”
Asked if the elections could be fair and credible if the BNP held any election after assuming office, Hasina said: “We have to start the trend of holding elections under the constitutional provisions. If this trend is set, people will resist any attempt of snatching their voting rights.”
She said the next elections were very much important for the continuation of the democratic process and developments. She expressed hope that people would vote for the Awami League-led government again for the sake of development and prosperity.
Reading out from a written speech, Hasina said the government believed in a peaceful transfer of power through a free and fair election with the participation of all political parties. She also expressed hope that all democratic political parties would be polls-centric shunning the path of anarchy.
Asked about the BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s remark that the country’s future would become uncertain if the ninth parliament was dissolved by October 25, the PM said: “The fear is baseless. There is no chance for a constitutional crisis to arise. But the BNP wants such crises to happen.
“There are some people in our country who desire to go to state power but are afraid of going to the people – they are afraid of contesting elections as they have no strong public support. Why will people suffer to fulfil these people’s desire?”
Hasina said the government had amended the constitution so that no army-backed government or anyone could take over state power unconstitutionally. She urged all to remain alert about any evil design of handing over of power unconstitutionally.
The PM claimed that there was no power crisis in the country as the government had set up power stations that were able to produce some 8,600MW of electricity.
She, however, said she had instructed for more load shedding.
“I directed for load shedding twice a day so people remember what situation they faced during the past government’s rule. I have instructed for a third time [of load shedding every day] so people remember their previous experience even more.”
Hasina criticised the talk shows aired on different TV channels, saying: “The Awami League government during its previous tenure gave licences to private television channels. This time we issued licences to 15 TV channels. But the speakers in the talk shows on these chancels always lambast the Awami League…It seems that the Awami League is their main enemy.”
The AL chief enumerated the achievements of her government and failure of the previous BNP-led coalition government.
She said the construction of the Padma bridge had already started with the country’s own fund.
Awami League leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Matia Chowdhury, Syed Ashraful Islam, Dipu Moni, Faruk Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Hasan Mahamud and the prime minister’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and scientist Prof Maqsudul Alam were present at the press conference.
