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Power will be handed over constitutionally

Says prime minister

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated that the change of power would take place through democratic and constitutional process in the future.
“The democratic process will continue in the country, and the change of government will happen through democratic and constitutional process,” she said while addressing a discussion at the capi-tal's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
“We are ready to give all-out cooperation if those who are in parliament seek assistance to this end,” Hasina, also president of ruling Awami League, said indicating that the next parliamentary elections would be held under the present administration.
Saying that they want democracy to continue in this country, she dismissed speculations that the election under a partisan government would not be held in a free, fair and credible manner.
Referring to more than 5,200 elections held under the present government, she said all the elections were held in a free and fair manner and none could raise a single question about any of it. "So why the national elections won't be free and fair?"
The ruling Awami League organised the discussion marking the National Mourning Day on August 15 when Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were assassinated
by a disgruntled group of army officers in 1975.
Addressing the discussion as chief guest, Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said, “From now on, we will not allow anyone to play with the fate of the country's people.”
The constitution has been amended to give back people's power to them as stipulated in the national charter, she said, calling on the people to remain alert and careful about those "players" who want to play with the fate of the masses and build their own fortune.
The AL chief said those, who had no capacity to gel public mandate and failed to form political party but had desires to cling to power, looked for illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional ways to assume power.
Referring to the 2001 elections, Hasina said she was barred from assuming power as she did not agree to sell gas to the western powers.
The premier claimed that her government in last three and a half years had been able to reduce 10 percent poverty in the country.
"About five crore people have been uplifted to middle class from lower class, and many have been self-sufficient economically,” she said. “Bangladesh will be graduated to a middle income country by the year of2021.”
AL leaders Matia Chowdhury, Suranjit Sengupta, Mohammad Nasim, and Prof Durga Das Bhattacharya, among others, spoke on the occasion.