January 7 election ensures democracy, people’s right to vote: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the absolute win of the Awami League in the January 7 election was the victory of Bangladesh and its people and the continuation of democracy and development.

The prime minister came up with the statement while addressing several hundred expatriate Awami League leaders gathered at Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday to congratulate her on her party's fourth consecutive win in the parliamentary election, reports UNB.

Hasina, who is also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said that her government has been able to ensure people's right to vote in this month's election.

“We have ensured the constitutional right of the people,” she said.

She also said that the election was highly competitive as Awami League has opened the contest to all.

“We have given our electoral symbol boat to our candidates and asked others from the party to participate in the election, whoever was interested,” she said.

Talking about the BNP, which did not participate in the election, she questioned how they would come to the election.

“In the 2008 election, BNP with their 20-party alliance got 30 seats only, while AL alone bagged 233 seats,” she added. That election was held under a neutral caretaker government.

In this connection, she mentioned that many people thought in 2008 that the BNP was equal to the Awami League considering the organisational strength.

“But it was proved wrong in the 2008 election,” she said.

After that, she said, the BNP never wanted an election. They instead unleashed arson attacks, killing people and setting fire to trains, to foil the elections.

“The more they (BNP) unleash the arson attack, the more people will reject them. They know that they were rejected by the people,” she said.

The prime minister said that's why the BNP does not want to participate in the election.

“Rather they wanted to spoil the election and looked for an illegal way to be in power,” she said.