Next election a challenge in face of conspiracies: PM to AL leaders

Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the upcoming general election is a challenge as various conspiracies are being orchestrated before the polls.

"Various conspiracies and plots are being hatched," she said while exchanging views with the leaders and activists of ruling Awami League and its associate bodies at her official residence Ganabhaban.

Bangladesh is likely to hold a general election in December this year or in January next year.

The country's main opposition party BP vowed to boycott the polls unless the government steps down in favour of a non-partisan caretaker administration to make it free and fair.

The government rejected the demand as unconstitutional.

Hasina, also the AL president, said whenever the lives of countrymen starts to improve to some extent, certain black sheep speak against Bangladesh and spread lies.

Some people present false narratives about Bangladesh to foreigners in order to get international donations, she said.

She said those who did not believe in the independence of Bangladesh, committed genocide and other offenses including plundering, rape and repression during the Liberation War, as well as their generations, have relentlessly been carrying out propaganda against the country.

Citing that vote-rigging is a habit of the BNP, the premier said they have a record of vote-rigging and snatching democracy. "But we now hear (the lesion of) democracy from them," she said.

"Now we're to hear the lesson on democracy and vote from a party which was formed by the hands of a military dictator. Stealing votes is their habit. So, what would the people of Bangladesh learn from thieves?" she added.

The AL chief asked her party members to work to strengthen their party further. "Our party is strong enough. We'll have to take steps so that the organisation stays stronger," she said.

Focusing on the development of Bangladesh, Hasina said it has been possible as her party has been in power for 14 years in a row after the 2008 general elections and maintained a stable democratic environment in the country.

"We wanted to change Bangladesh. Today we've successfully been able to," she said, adding that Bangladesh has graduated into a developing country.

"Our biggest achievement is that the poverty rate declined in the rural area. The poverty rate is high in Dhaka city, but lower in the rural areas. No one could think of it in the past," she said.

PM Hasina said her government kept its pledge by providing electricity to every house. But Bangladesh is to face difficulties as the commodity prices, transport cost, prices of gas, fuel and coal soared up globally following the Ukraine war.

She said the interest rates of foreign loans were increased, which created a pressure on the country's reserve of foreign currencies. However, there remains a reserve which is enough to procure food for five months, she added.

The premier asked to boost agricultural production by not keeping any piece of land uncultivated in the country, in order to meet the local demand and also export these.

She said food prices increased throughout the world and also in Bangladesh. People are suffering from the commodity price hike, but the goods are available (in the market) and there is no scarcity of any item.

She said Bangladesh has witnessed a good yield of rice and other crops this time as well. Everything – vegetables, fish and meat – is being produced, though the prices of goods increased, she said.

The premier said her government has recently had a record biggest national budget of Tk761,785 crore. No one could give such a big budget in the past. The most important matter is that the government has been able to give such a budget during this tough time.

She said both the number of beneficiaries and the size of allowance under different social safety net programmes were increased in the budget. Besides, the government has arranged a card system so that the low-income people can purchase some essential commodities including rice, pulse and edible at subsidised prices to ease their sufferings, she said.