Sun News Desk : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the next general election in Bangladesh will be held under Awami League government and it will be free and fair.
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She told a session titled "In conversation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina" of the Qatar Economic Forum at the Raffles Hotel in Doha on Wednesday.
The prime minister is now in Doha on a three-day official visit mainly to take part in the Qatar Economic Forum 2023.
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Her assertion came as the opposition BNP and its allies have launched a renewed campaign of street protests asking her government to step down to pave the way for holding the next election under a neutral caretaker administration.
Bangladesh is due to go to polls by December this year or in the first week of next year.
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Prime Minister said that after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, military dictators jeopardised all election process.
"The election was just a game (then)," she said.
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She recalled that when the Awami League elected her as its president back in 1981 in her absence only then she could return to the country.
"Since then we started to struggle for restoring democracy and people's right to vote. It was our struggle to ensure free and fair election. And we did it during our time in every election," she said.
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"It is people's power, I want to ensure people’s power. I am here not to grab power. Rather I want to empower our people that they should have their right to choose their government," she said.
Replying to a question, Hasina mentioned that now some parties said they will not participate.
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"How will they participate? Because during their time the country suffered a lot. Our people suffered. At their time terrorist activities increased. Everywhere there was corruption, nepotism and exploitation. They never bothered about the people. It was very difficult for our people to get one meal per day. That was the situation," she said.
She said that after the Awami League came to power it has ensured everything for the people.
"It's the people's right to vote in election. What we have done now the people understand that. If they vote for us I am here, if they don't, ok fine," she said clearly.
Sun News/MR
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