People gains from AL’s development and awards power again: PM Hasina tells foreign election observers

Monirul Alam of DOT : 
Incumbent Prime Minister Shekh Hasina has obtained initial legitimacy to formulate new government for the next five-year regime, for the third consecutive tenures since 2008, as her party Awami League (AL) awarded absolute majority in the 11th Parliamentary polls held on Sunday.
According to unofficial announcement, AL alone registered victory at 257 out of total 299 constituencies while the party’s another ally Jatiya Party won 22 others. AL’s other allies have won 7 other constituencies, totaling the number of winning seats to 288. AL’s main rival BNP won at only 5 constituencies while independent candidates elected from remaining 6.
The Election Commission (EC) will officially record the victory by publishing gazettes as shortly as possible. Speaker of the Parliament will invite winners to take oath; paving the way to formulate government by the party obtained majority. According to the Constitution, the leader of the party wins majority would seek permission of the President to form cabinet. Therefore, AL President and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is supposed to sworn in as Prime Minister again and announce a new cabinet to run her government.
“This victory is not for my personal gain. I don’t want anything personally. I think this re-election has bigger my responsibility to work more for common people of the country and unleashes the path of implementing unfinished tasks of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” Sheikh Hasina said while receiving greetings from different quarters at Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sheikh Hasina for the victory.
In the evening yesterday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a briefing for foreign observers from 30 different countries at her official residence Gonobhaban said that people of the country voted her party to power again by evaluating fruits of development activities in previous two consecutive terms.
“People of the country have gained benefit of development of my government and cast their votes again for us,” Sheikh Hasina told foreign observers.
She said Bangladesh embarked by multi-party democracy and the election held was inclusive.
She said the defeat of BNP and its allies in the election was a consequence of act of terrorism and corruption.
“We have indulged the act of terrorism and corruption after assuming power. And, we will continue our ‘zero tolerance’ policy against terrorism,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance carried out unprecedented act of terror in the October 2001 elections. “You cannot imagine how they have tortured our activists, leaders, MPs (Members of Parliament). They set fire to houses, shops and other establishments belong to our party men. They even raped a six-year old girl, carried out arson attack on many houses and captured business establishments.”
“But, this year, you see no such incident. Even if it is 5:30 pm rang the clock … a day after the election held yesterday. We didn’t do anything to their (BNP and its alliance) men. We set them free, safe,” she added.
“Rather, I fulfilled each and every of their demand. I invite them to dialogue before polls and fulfilled their demand of deferring election schedule. Because, I want their participation in the election,” said Sheikh Hasina.
While responding to a question from Al Zazeera journalist, she said some sporadic incidents took place during election hours. There are around 40000 polling centres across the country and untoward incidents reported from only 2000 centres, which is not even 1 percent.
In this election, the number of casualties is higher of AL, she added. Sheikh Hasina said she had wanted holding the election in a free, fair and transparent manner so that people can have easy access to exercise voting rights.
In her speech, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina drew attention of the international observers so that they can play a role form their respective levels to accelerate the repatriation process of the Rohingyas from Bangladesh.