Renewing her warning against the emergence of undemocratic force, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said there will be no election in the country for 10 years in the country if any unconstitutional government captures power this time.“If any unconstitutional government comes again, if any anti-constitutional person captures power again, remember, the election will not be held even in 10 years,” she said.
The Prime Minister came up with the warning while delivering her speech at an iftar party arranged by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the Jatiya Press Club.
Sheikh Hasina said if the unconstitutional government comes to power in the name of a caretaker government it would not stay only for two years as in the previous time as it will hang on for at least 10 years. “And there’ll be no democracy,” she said.
BFUJ president and PM’s Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu, BFUJ secretary general Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan and DUJ president Omar Faruk also spoke at the occasion. DUJ secretary Shaban Mahmud conducted the programme.
The Prime Minister said these days many people want caretaker government. “We have had an experience of caretaker government during 2007-08, they had no intention to hold the election, but it’s me who had said for holding the election.”
Hasina further said: “Although Iajuddin, Moeenuddin and Fakhruddin were in the key posts of the state, as a matter of fact someone else had run the country. The country was run by DGFI men Brig Amin and Brig Bari. What they had said that was implemented. No one could dare speaking up sidetracking them…and at that time I spoke about the election.”
Demanding the election, Hasina recalled, she had to pay a high price at that time as the then caretaker government lodged false cases against her. “Even I was barred from returning to the country.”
The Prime Minister also said the democratic process of the country should be continued. “We’ll have to continue the constitutional process and uphold the verdicts of the higher court.”
Hasina said it needs to be ensured no one could play a game with the election of the country.
Referring to the 5,644 elections held under this government in a free, fair and neutral manner, she said no one could raise any question about those elections. “Only AL has the courage to hold free, fair and neutral elections in the country,’ she said.
The Prime Minister also announced that the next election will be hold as per the Constitution in a free, fair and neutral manner, and sought cooperation of all in this regard.
Turning to media criticisms, Hasina called upon the journalists to make constructive criticisms of the government instead of publishing fabricated news.
She urged them not to make such criticism which may endanger the country’s hard-earned demoercracy. “Speak the truth, project the facts and refrain from creating rumor through publishing false news items, especially on religions.”
Hasina said her government established the Information Commission and enacted the Right to Information Act to ensure free flow of information.
The Prime Minister said the present government brought amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPc) replacing the provision of arrest with summon by the court, aiming to protect the rights of journalists.
Talking about various facilities for the journalists, she said her government for the first time constituted ‘Journalists Welfare Fund’ with one crore taka as a seed money.
Besides, it has created job opportunities for the journalist community through allowing a number of private televisions and radio channels. – UNB
