Cautioning the opposition about the consequence of a caretaker government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that if an unconstitutional government assume power it would try to rule the country till the “end of the world.”She said, “I don’t know what drives the BNP to demand this. If a caretaker government assumes power it will not conduct any elections.”
She clarified her party’s position on the issue while speaking at a view exchange program with Awami League’s grassroots leaders from Pirojpur district on Thursday.
Taking a dig at the main opposition party which has been campaigning for the restoration of caretaker-government system, Hasina said,“If a caretaker government is restored, it will never relinquish power….. What will they (BNP leaders) do then? Will they then strike their foreheads and weep.”
“This time it (caretaker government) will do what it could not do earlier. It (caretaker government) will try to stay in power till doomsday”, said the Prime Minister.
Justifying Awami League’s movement for the caretaker government in 1996 she said, “We wanted a caretaker government. This is true. Why did we want it? Because BNP had indulged in violence, malpractices and rigging in the elections it conducted.
Citing the recent fair and peaceful elections to the four city corporations of Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Khulna, Hasina said, “These elections are evident of the fact that free and fair elections are held only when Awami League is in power.”
But if the people still wants to vote to power “selfish, stealers, murderers, corrupts and criminals” , Awami League has nothing to say, the Prime Minister stated in an apparent hint at the recent mandate against her party in the four civic elections.
“This is entirely the decision of the people of Bangladesh.”
During the interactions, she also criticised the advisors of the erstwhile post 1/11-caretaker government.
“The advisors give us theories. But they couldn’t stage an election…They are army-backed…… When a caretaker government become army-headed, naturally there will be no attempt to stage elections.”
While recalling the events of the caretaker regime, She also touched upon the issue of Gono Forum president Kamal Hossain.
“An internationally acclaimed lawyer has remarked that the caretaker government can cling to power without staging elections. He (the lawyer) was once with us….. But he deserted us. He has recently forewarned that a caretaker government could stay until the end of the world.”
Sheikh Hasina reaffirmed her government’s commitment to bring to book war criminals.
She claimed, “The movement for caretaker government is nothing, but an attempt to save the war criminals.”
She said the main opposition was busy plotting ouster of Awami League from the government to save the war criminals.
(Source: bdnews24.com)
