BartaBangla Desk :: Seeking people’s support for her party’s reelection, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged all to judiciously cast their votes in favour of honest, patriot and pro-development candidates in the next general election.
“I hope people will judiciously cast their votes in favour of those candidates who are honest, pro-development and patriots,” she said.
She said this while talking to reporters at the Eid greetings-exchange programme at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Hasina also urged people not to be confused at the negative propaganda of any vested quarter. “Please stay alert so that no one can confuse you,” she said.
Giving a brief description of the development activities of the grand alliance government under the leadership of Awami League, she said most of the election pledges have been fulfilled and the rest to be met soon.
“I’ll request you to cast your valuable votes in favour of ‘boat’ in the next general election for giving us another chance to complete our incomplete works,” she said.
Referring to the 15th amendment to the constitution, Hasina said the government amended the charter so that no unconstitutional force or military dictator can grab state power.
“We amended the constitution to resist the unconstitutional power capture and stop the military dictators to declare himself as the President of the country,” she added.
The Prime Minister categorically said power belongs to people and the country will be governed as per the constitution.
In the last election, Hasina said, the people of the country gave the AL-led grand alliance the authority to amend the Constitution, and more importantly there was the High Court verdict in this regard.
Before the amendment, the premier said, the government formed a committee which held talks in this regard with all stakeholders.
Talking about the demand of the opposition party for restoring the caretaker government system, she questioned whether the opposition forgot the bitter experiences of the immediate past caretaker government during the 2007-08 period. “Not only the politicians, businessmen, teachers and students, but also the journalists were oppressed and tortured at that time.”
The Prime Minister said all the elections held under the present government in the last four and a half years were free, fair and neutral where many opposition-backed candidates came out successful. “And no question was raised by any quarter about the fairness of the polls,” she said indicating that the present government can hold any election in a free, fair and neutral manner.
The Prime Minister expressed her pleasure for a stable social and economic as well as normal law and order situation in the country during the just ended holy month of Ramadan saying that the people celebrated the holy Eid-ul-Fitr with tremendous enthusiasm and comfort this year.
She said the prices of essentials were within the purchasing capacity of the mass people during the Ramadan this year and added that power generation and its overall management and water and gas supply situation were also good.
Terming all these as the achievements of Awami League-led grand alliance government, she said this has been possible following the planned steps taken by her government.
Sheikh Hasina said the country is moving towards progress and prosperity as massive programmes have been implemented in various sectors, including education, health and ICT, communication sectors.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina exchanged Eid greetings with a cross-section of people at her official residence Ganobhaban.
People from all walks of life, including political leaders, professionals, intellectuals, educationists, and journalists joined the programme.
Prime Minister’s daughter Saima Hossain Putul, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Post and Telecommunications Minister Advocate Shahara Khatun, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Mohammad Faruk Khan, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, Prime Minister’s Media Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, State Minister for Law Advocate Qamrul Islam. State Minister for LGRD & Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP were, among others, present.
Later, the Prime Minister exchanged Eid greetings with judges and diplomats of foreign missions in Dhaka at the Ganobhaban.
All guests were entertained with sweets and vermicelli at the PM’s official residence on the occasion. The children who accompanied their parents and guardians got chocolates.