US preaches democracy but does otherwise

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that the United States can overthrow government in any country and here it wants to install a government that will be anything but democratic in nature.

"For this, some of our intellectuals show allegiance to them [the US] only for a little money," she added.

The premier made the remarks while participating in a discussion on a motion she placed in the House, marking the Golden Jubilee of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad. It was also her winding-up speech for the 22nd session of parliament.

"Yes, they can unseat any government in any country. In particular, Muslim countries are going through tougher times [because of the US intervention]," Hasina said.

Everything was okay as long as it was happening only with the Muslim countries, but after the Russia-Ukraine war, the whole world fell into an economic recession and this is the reality, she observed.

The premier said the US frequently lectures on democracy and some people, including the opposition party, cheer and dance to that.

She said the US has been sheltering Bangabandhu's convicted killer Rashed Chowdhury, ignoring repeated requests from Bangladesh for his deportation.

"I have appealed to all the presidents [ of the US]. Legally, we've made efforts. We've tried through diplomacy. I have appealed to them, 'You cannot grant asylum to this convicted murderer. You cannot give shelter to the killer of children, killer of women, killer of a president and killer of minister... Send him back.' But they are not returning him…"

She said, "On one hand, the US speaks against corruption, and on the other, it is advocating for those who have been convicted of corruption.

"They preach us about democracy. They talk about democracy and human rights. But what is the state of their country?"

A few days ago, she said, three Tennessee lawmakers demonstrated for gun control. Two of them were unseated. The third could escape as he was white.

"The crime of Justin John and Justin Pearson is that they are black. So, where are human rights there? We ask where their democracy is."

Hasina also said, "When I first visited America, I met the then US under secretary. There I said, 'I had seen a monument where it was inscribed with Government of the People, for the People, by the People. I've come from a country where it was 'Government of the Army, by the Army, for the General'.

"I told the meeting that America practises democracy all the way to the shores of the Atlantic. Does your definition of democracy change after it crosses the Atlantic?"

She added, "I also asked why they were supporting a military dictatorship."

ARTICLE 70

Hasina came down heavily on a few parliament members for advocating against article 70 in the constitution.

"Article 70 has given protection to democracy alongside strengthening it to reach its benefit to the people. But a few of our [parliament] members are against the article as they are unable to play the game of seating and unseating a government," she said.

A few parliament members are expressing concern over article 70 due to their inexperience, she said, referring to the unseating of the governments formed after 1946 and 1954 elections mainly due to floor-crossing.

Earlier, participating in the discussion on the proposal, Deputy Leader of the Opposition GM Quader spoke about revoking article 70.

AL GOVT CHANGED FATE OF PEOPLE

The PM said she, like the people of the country, believes that the AL government has been able to change the fate of the people as it has been in power for 14 years in a row.

"Now the difference between village and city has narrowed … We are providing civic amenities to every village," she said.

The premier raised a comparative picture regarding the socio-economic development in many indicators between 2006 (at the fag-end of BNP-Jamaat regime) and 2022.

She said the poverty rate declined to 20.5 percent in 2022 from 41.51 percent in 2006, the extreme poverty rate to 10 percent from 25.1 percent, the child mortality rate per thousand births to 21 persons from 84, and the mother mortality rate per 100 thousand births to 161 from 370.