Hasina warns of dire consequences for attempts to foil national elections

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has issued a stern warning against opposition attempts to undermine the upcoming 12th national elections.

Addressing the ruling Awami League's parliamentary nomination board meeting in Dhaka on Thursday, Hasina expressed concerns about the alleged efforts by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami to manipulate the electoral process.

She emphasised that the Awami League's strength lies in the people of the country, and warned that any attempt to rig the election would have severe consequences.

"In 2014, they [BNP and Jamaat] refrained from participating in the elections because they lacked confidence. Despite controversies surrounding the 2018 election, specific evidence of irregularities has not been presented so far," said Hasina.

Presiding over the meeting at the Dhaka district Awami League office in Tejgaon, Awami League chief Hasina outlined the agenda for the first day, which included finalising nominations for parliamentary seats in several divisions.

Subsequent meetings will be conducted in the coming days to conclude nominations for all 300 parliamentary seats.