PM renews her calls to opposition leader to join polls

The Prime Minister said elections were held in the last 38 years on an ad hoc basis. "But we want to hold the next election upholding the constitution and democracy to ensure a beautiful, disciplined and better life for the future generation which was a dream of lakhs of martyrs," she said. The Prime Minister said she had wanted to form an all-party poll-time government. "We have constituted that government and all parties except the BNP have joined it," she said. She expressed her firm optimism that the Election Commission would hold the coming polls in a free, fair and neutral manner. "The commission is fully independent, it is also independent economically," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said after announcement of the polls schedule, the responsibilities of all the ministries will remain under the commission. All transfers will be made through the commission and there will be no responsibilities of the ministries to this end. Sheikh Hasina asked her party leaders and workers to be united to ensure victory of the Awami League in the upcoming polls to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous middle income country by completing the unfinished tasks.

She said the government has been implementing the sixth five- year plan and undertaken a perspective plan from 2010-2021 to make Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2021. On the other hand, she said, BNP-Jamaat has become united to ward off our development works. "The BNP-Jamaat does not want to retain the development we made. They do not want Bangladesh to be built with the spirit of the War of Liberation," she said. To achieve the goal of turning Bangladesh into a middle- income country, she said, the Awami League will have to be reelected by earning the trust and confidence of the people. 

Pointing out the amendment to the constitution, the Prime Minister said her government has amended the constitution to ensure voting and democratic rights of the people so that none could come to power unconstitutionally. "Through the amendment, we have restored the spirit of the Liberation War side by side with ensuring voting and democratic rights of the people," she said. Highlighting her government's tremendous success in the fields of education, agriculture, health, economy, ICT, foreign policy, sports and power sector, the Prime Minister said the achievements have been possible as all ministries worked with utmost sincerity.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working round the clock for the last five years to ensure welfare of the people. As a result, she said, the country achieved tremendous development in various sectors.

Source: BSS and other news agencies