Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the January 5 election of 2014 was not a voter less election like the ones held during Ershad and Khaleda Zia’s regimes.
“In any form, the January 5 election was not a voter less at all…more than 40 percent voters cast their votes. Khaleda Zia burned people alive to resist it, burned down 582 schools, polling centres, killed presiding and assistant presiding officers. But people resisted it and went to polling centres,” she said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee at her official residence Ganobhaban.
She said the government has completed four years of its tenure as people cast their votes in favour of Awami League.
“Ershad and Khaleda Zia couldn’t complete their tenures after holding the voters less elections in 1988 and 1996,” she said. Hasina mentioned that Ershad had to resign in 1990 after holding the voters less election in 1988 while Khaleda had to do the same after the February 15, 1996 polls.
“She (Khaleda) stepped down in March 1996… she could managed to stay in power only for one and a half months because they had rigged the election,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awmai League, said her party was elected by people and it was the prime aim of the party to protect democracy in the country.
“We’ve completed four years after the election… we’ve advanced the country as there was the continuation of government…the country is advancing towards progress, and the development is visible at the grassroots level too…this continuation of development has to be continued,” she said.
The Prime Minister said those who move with Al Badrs, Rajakars, killers, make them politicians and leaders could not do anything for the welfare of people.
“Those who can burn people alive and hang them to death can never do anything good for people after coming to power. These elements don’t know how to ensure the welfare of people as they never did that,” she said.
The AL chief mentioned that the people of the country have lost over 28 years to misrules except AL’s rule. “Let’s make sure not a single day is wasted from the life of the people of the country,” she added.
