Prime minister and ruling Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that many people in the West want an unelected government without elections.
The PM came up with the remark at a meeting of the Parliamentary Party of the Awami League held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka.
‘The prime minister said that Awami League can come to power if there are elections, that’s why many people in the West want an unelected government without elections,’ AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told reporters, emerging from the meeting.
‘Because, if there is an unelected government, it is convenient for them [the West] to establish their influence,’ Hanif said, quoting the prime minister.
He said that Sheikh Hasina directed all the party people to become united and work to win the election.
She said that the nomination will be given on the basis of various survey reports, he said, adding that those whose acceptability and popularity are higher will obtain the nomination for contesting in the next parliamentary polls.
Several AL lawmakers said that the issue of the 12th parliamentary polls was discussed in the meeting in detail.
Commenting that she cannot take the responsibility to win the election for anyone, Sheikh Hasina told the meeting that the vote will be free and fair.
‘Everyone should win this vote. I cannot take the responsibility of making anyone win. I will not nominate anyone based on their appearance. I will give nominations to those who are popular. Not everyone here may get nominated,’ an AL lawmaker quoted Hasina as saying.
The Awami League president also spoke about the ongoing movement of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the meeting.
She mentioned that there will be no obstacles if the BNP conducts a systematic movement.
Chaired by Sheikh Hasina, AL lawmakers Motahar Hossain, Shamim Osman, Nur Uddin Chowdhary Nayan, Kazi Keramat Ali, Abu Reza Mohammad Nezam Uddin Nadwi, Sayeda Rubina Akter and Aroma Dutta spoke at the meeting, among others.
