Dhaka, Jan 2 – Mentioning that her party wanted a strong opposition through the 11th general election, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the possibility of such an opposition diminishes when a party indulges in nomination trade.“For democracy, a strong opposition is needed. That’s why we wanted that there would be a good opposition, but the possibility to become such an opposition lessens when a party indulges in nomination trade,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while delivering her speech when a cross-section of people, including Bankers Association of Bangladesh (BAB) and FBCCI, greeted her at her official residence Ganobhaban by presenting bouquets to her for her party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
She said it was very much regrettable that the attitude of the opposition was peculiar. “The way they gave their nominations was not for participating in the election. They just did business in the name of giving nominations,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned that a person came to the Bangladesh mission in Dubai to submit his nomination paper when the mission officials informed him that he had to submit it to the respective returning officer or through online which made him angry.
“The person told the mission officials that he gave so much money in London that they told him he could be able to submit his nomination paper even from Dubai. This is just an incident. There’re more incidents like this,” she said.
About BNP’s nominations to more than one person in most of the seats, the Prime Minister posed a question, “For what did they give more than nomination in one seat? What type of election will they do who can do this type of incident?”
She also said she saw people’s desires for casting their votes in favour of Boat, the electoral symbol of Awami League, in the 11th general election like 1970 and 1973.
Talking about the plans of her government in the next five years, Hasina said the people of the country will get homes, education, food, nutrition and treatment. “Their lives will be beautiful and developed, this is my expectations for the coming days,” she said.
Expressing her deep gratitude towards the people of the country for keeping their trust and belief in her, the AL chief sought cooperation from all so that she could honour the trust and belief. -UNB
