Unb, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday sharply criticised some foreign missions in Dhaka for picking Bangladeshi nationals as “foreign election observers”.

She also blasted the Election Commission for accepting those locals as foreign election observers.

“They didn’t do the right thing. There are many Bangladeshi nationals who work at foreign missions here. They are Bangladeshi citizens... they are doing jobs there...they [foreign missions] have appointed them as foreign election observers...what they have done is outrageous,” the PM said.

She was talking to reporters after casting her vote at Dhaka City College polling centre in the capital’s Dhamondi at 8:00am.

Hasina, also the Awami League chief, questioned how a Bangladeshi national could become a “foreigner” and a “foreign election observer” as the person only worked for a foreign mission in Bangladesh.

The PM said the foreign missions in Bangladesh could express their concern as the country’s past history was not good.

She said after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975, everyone witnessed how a game was played by snatching the people’s voting rights. “But we have gradually overcome that situation and there is nothing to be worried about it.”

She also mentioned that those who have expressed concerns over the polls know about the examples of the elections in their own countries. “We know about some instances of the elections in their countries.”

Hasina said some people among those picked as foreign election observers have a hostile attitude towards Bangladesh. “I know some of their fathers were involved in the August 15 massacre or were anti-liberation people.”

She questioned the EC’s judgment as they accepted local Bangladeshi people as foreign election observers. “I don’t know how they accepted the country’s nationals as foreign election observers. They didn’t do the right thing by accepting that.”

The PM also said Bangladeshi nationals doing jobs in foreign missions could visit polling centres as voters, but not as election observers.

She hoped the AL candidates would win the mayoral polls to two Dhaka city corporations.

Talking about the Electronic Voting Machine, Hasina briefly described the process of casting votes with it. She said she cast her vote with an EVM very quickly and easily.

“I think the Election Commission will be able to introduce this EVM gradually in the entire country so that people’s voting rights are ensured, and nobody can snatch other’s voting rights and capture polling centres,” she said.

Responding to a question about the BNP’s allegations that Awami League was trying to capture polling centres, the PM said a party tries to take other paths after it loses confidence in the people.

“This is the character of the BNP. They had started vote rigging; they cannot keep their confidence in the people, and they cannot trust the digital system.”

She said the BNP must try to gain people’s trust. Trust and confidence are the main sources of power and the AL has been in power for three consecutive terms with those, she added.

The AL chief also said the people were witnessing the remarkable progress of the country.