Hasina rejects possibility of holding dialogue with BNP
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday turned down any possibility of holding a dialogue with BNP ahead of the 11th national election, slated for 2019, Awami League sources said.
Meanwhile, she expressed her expectation to be on “leave” after the polls and asked her party colleagues to take preparation for the election from now on, they said.
Hasina, also the president of the ruling AL, however, did not clear the leave whether from the party or both from the party and the government.
She came up with the rejection a day after BNP hoped that the PM would arrange talks with different political parties to hold the polls in a credible and inclusive manner.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at a press conference on Friday, urged the prime minister to hold such dialogues.
The AL chief yesterday visited her political office at Dhanmondi after around two years where she had a meeting with her colleagues.
During the meeting, an AL leader drew PM's attention over holding the dialogues and Hasina rejected its possibility saying that no dialogue is possible with “killers”.
“I will not sit with them who killed innocent people to foil the elections, and with those who tried to kill me staging the 21 August grenade attacks,” a leader, who was present at the meeting, quoted Hasina as saying.
UNB adds, at the meeting, Hasina directed the party advisory council members to form sector-wise units to ensure the incorporation of issues in the election manifesto.
The AL president was addressing the party leaders at her Dhanmondi office in the capital.
Listing her government's successes, Hasina also stressed the importance of informing the people about the government's good work as the vested quarters will be trying to misguide them with wrong information.
“Let people know that desired development cannot be achieved without continuation of the government,” she said.
Hasina said people now can realise that the country has been able to achieve the development and prosperity as the AL-led government has been in power for the last eight years.
About the manifestos announced before the 2008 and 2014 general elections, the AL president said almost all of the pledges have been fulfilled. In some cases, her party-led government has done more than its commitments, she added.
About the motto of her party politics, Hasina said, AL does politics to protect the interest of people and build their fate.
The premier also stressed maintaining honesty and boldness, and working with self-confidence, or else, evil forces cannot be tackled.
Referring to the Padma Bridge issue, the PM said the mega project is being constructed with own resources facing all the challenges.
On completion of the mega project, Hasina said, many countries might follow the initiative of Bangladesh as an example.
The PM said the country will see tremendous progress if AL remains in power. “BNP means killing, plundering money, terrorism and sufferings of people,” she said.
The party that was born illegally cannot do any welfare and development of the country, she added.
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