January 7 election ensured democracy and people's right to vote: PM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the absolute win of the Awami League in the 12th national parliamentary election was the victory of Bangladesh, its people, and the continuation of democracy and development.

The prime minister was addressing several hundred expatriate Awami League leaders from across the globe gathered at her official residence Ganabhaban to congratulate her on her party's fourth consecutive win in the parliamentary election

Sheikh Hasina, the chief of the ruling party Awami League, said that her government has been able to ensure people's right to vote in the January 7 election.

“We have ensured the constitutional right of the people,” she said.

She also said that the election was highly competitive as Awami League has opened the contest to all.

“We have given our electoral symbol boat to our candidates and asked others from the party to participate in the election whoever was interested,” she said.

Talking about the BNP that did not participate in the election, she questioned how they would come to the election.

“In the 2008 election, BNP with their 20-party alliance got 30 seats only while Awami League alone bagged 233 seats. That election was held under a neutral caretaker government,” she added.

In this connection, she mentioned that many people thought in 2008 that the BNP was equal to Awami League considering the organizational strength.

“But it was proved wrong in the 2008 election,” she said.

After that, she said: “BNP never wanted an election. They instead unleashed arson attacks killing people and setting fire to trains to foil the elections.”

“The more they (BNP) unleash the arson attack the more people will reject them. They know that they were rejected by the people,” she said.

The prime minister said this is why the BNP does not want to participate in the election.

“Rather they wanted to spoil the election and looked for the illegal way to be in power,” she said.