Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said she wants a free, fair and neutral upazila election so people can elect their representatives of their choices.
"I want uninfluenced, free, fair and neutral upazila elections. The winners of the election are welcomed. They will be winners whom people want. Awami League has come to power as the people wanted," she said.
The premier made the remarks while replying to a series of question at a media briefing about the outcome of her recent six-day official visit to Thailand at her official Ganabhaban residence.
She said her government has been working to make the electoral process more pro-people and transparent.
So, her government enacted law for the first time to form election commission and made the commission financially independent after bringing out it from the purview of the Prime Minister's Office and gave separate allocation in the budget for the commission, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said they did all things to make the election free and fair as the people can exercise their voting rights as per their choices.
She said her government has held the 12th parliamentary election on January 7, 2024 in the freest, fairest and most neutral manner in comparison of other elections in Bangladesh history after 1975 changeover.
The premier said there was a move at home and abroad to foil the election, but they had failed in doing so as the people were in favour of the Awami League.
"Our strength is the people and I have belief in them. Awami League will remain in power if people want as we have been elected by the people's mandate," she said.
She also said the Awami League wasn't formed from the pocket of any military dictator who grabbed state power illegally, rather, the party was formed to realise the demand of the people.
"It is proved that the Awami League works for the people's welfare. So, we have been able to overcome all the hurdles and became victorious with the help of the people," she said.
The prime minister came down heavily on some political parties who have asked the people to boycott the voting.
She called upon the journalist community to take pen against the vested quarters' ill-move to influence people not to exercise voting rights as voting rights are people's constitutional and civic rights.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Awami League Presidium Members, Begum Matia Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu and State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, were present on the dais.
PM's Speech Writer M Nazrul Islam moderated the function.
Source: BSS