Won’t tolerate any violence
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the development Bangladesh has witnessed in the past 15 years will come undone, she said.
Pointing at AL’s rival candidates, Hasina said: “Yes, we opened the election [for its rival candidates]. There are candidates with the ‘boat’ symbol, independents and contestants from other parties in the race. Everyone should go to the people. The candidates who get votes would be elected.”
She sought votes for her party’s electoral symbol “boat” in the polls, saying that the people gained the independence of the country in 1971 by voting for this symbol.
People have attained economic emancipation and Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing nation by voting for the AL.
“If we want to continue the development trend, it is the Awami League who will have to ensure the welfare of the people by forming the government.”
Hasina asked all the candidates and their supporters to run in the election peacefully so that no one could raise any allegations regarding the polls and voters turn up in big numbers at the polling stations.
“There must be participation of the people and voters in the election. It doesn’t matter which party joins or does not join the election. The BNP doesn’t join the polls for one reason and there is no scope of vote-rigging here.”
Since the BNP failed to rig the polls in 2008, it now wants to thwart and boycott the election, said Hasina, who is seeking to bring her party to power for the fourth consecutive term.
“Run in the election in a fair manner. All [candidates] should carry out campaigns freely and let the people vote for and pick the candidates of their choice. So, our democracy will be strengthened further.”
The people ousted BNP chief Khaleda Zia from power over vote-rigging in 1996 and then she again tried to steal votes in 2006 by enrolling around 1.23 crore fake voters in the voter list.
“Now it is very unfortunate that we have to hear the words [lessons] of democracy and fair votes from those who were driven out on two occasions over vote-rigging.”
Hasina said it was the AL who had given back the voting rights to the people.
“In this upcoming election, all of you will have to be careful so that no one can harm the people by resorting to terrorism and militancy. I would like to urge all to be vigilant in this regard.”
Talking about the recent violence including attacks on trains, Hasina said the BNP has again started unleashing arson and violence as in 2013 and 2014.
Without naming the BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, the PM said, “The person went to London giving the caretaker government a bond that he would no longer do politics, but now he is giving instructions to thwart the election from there.”
“The country will have to be saved from their hands,” Hasina said, adding that the BNP is a terrorist organisation.