Diplomatic ties with Pakistan to continue
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh's diplomatic relations with Pakistan will continue alongside disputes although Pakistan has been making various adverse statements on the ongoing war crimes trial.
" …whatever [adverse thing] they [Pakistan] are saying, we're protesting that...our diplomatic relations with them will continue alongside disputes," she said.
Hasina made the comment while replying to a query during her scheduled press conference on her recent visits to Canada and the USA. The conference was organised at her official residence the Gono Bhaban.
She said Pakistan is a defeated force and it was compelled to recognise Bangladesh in 1974.
Hasina said there might be differences of opinion and the defeated forces could say anything. "It matters little what they say about us, but the main thing is we're doing our works, like holding war crimes' trial, properly."
She said: "They'll [the defeated forces] feel pain in their hearts as they're [war criminals] their Piare Bandas [beloved ones]. So, they'll shed tears a bit for them [war criminals]."
Apparently referring to the BNP, the PM also questioned whether those who had made war criminals ministers and stopped the trial of war criminals have any right to do politics in the country.
She said Ziaur Rahman, "grabbing power illegally" after 1975, had stopped the trial of war criminals and freed some 11,000 war criminals from jail. He also withdrew some 22,000 cases against the war criminals, she alleged.
Asked whether Saarc would remain intact in the coming days, Hasina said she would not be able to say anything personally as the current chairperson of Saarc is Nepal and a united decision is needed in this regard.
“…we must find out a way on how we could work together towards ensuring socioeconomic development of the South Asian countries."
Asked about the ongoing tensions between the two nuclear rivals Pakistan and India, the PM said the matter is really worrying. "We don't want any such tension between these two countries or any apprehension of war."
"We want these two countries to resolve their bilateral problems through talks. There's no such conflict in this region. We need to keep in mind if such incident happens, then we'll be affected and our pace of development would be deterred. So, we don't want such thing [conflict and tension]," she said.
When her attention was drawn to the willingness of BNP to reconstitute the Election Commission, Hasina said the party wants that kind of an EC which would make fake voter list.
The EC constituted during their tenure had made a voter list comprising over some 1.23 crore fake voters, Hasina alleged.
"The present Election Commission did not make any such fake voter list and this is not liked by the BNP as it wants such an EC which would make a false voter list," she added.
"If we accept their suggestion, we'll have to constitute such Election Commission which will make fake voter list. And my question to you is whether you really want this," Hasina said.
The PM said she would be happy if the AL men gave her the scope to go on retirement after 35 years of relentless works from the top post.
The AL leaders who were present at the press conference said “no”.
Replying to another question on introducing a separate TV channel dedicatedly for sports, the PM replied in the negative, suggesting that games and sports could be broadcast by the existing Sangsad TV channel alongside the telecast of various events on government's development when the Sangsad is not in session.
AL General Secretary and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, LGRD Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, PM's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam were present on the dais.
PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim conducted the press conference.
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