SANGSAD BHABAN, July 6, 2023 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today unequivocally told the Parliament that only Awami League (AL) can hold a free, fair and impartial election, vowing to continue work for the country's people in the coming days ahead.

"Only Awami League can give free, fair and neural elections in this country, and I can unequivocally say it," she said, referring to the recent city corporation elections and parliamentary by-polls held during its regime.

She added: "Our goal is to protect voting rights of the people and attain economic emancipation of the people. We've been doing the work and will continue it."

The Premier made this remarks while delivering her valedictory speech at the 23rd session (Budget FY24 Session) of the current 11th parliament.

Sheikh Hasina, also Leader of the House, said none could raise a single question regarding the recent city elections in Barisal, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Gazipur, adding: "Has the election ever been held in such a peaceful manner in Bangladesh in the past?"

Regarding the parliamentary by-election, she said every by-election was held in a fair, free and impartial manner.

Later, the session, which started on May 31, was prorogued after 22 sittings. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the President.

Sheikh Hasina said that they have secured the voting rights of people, made them aware about their rights and kept the democratic trend uninterrupted in the country.

"They (BNP) didn't able to destroy democracy in the country by carrying out arson attack, murder and other misdeeds from 2009 to 2023," she said.

As Awami League (AL) is in power, she said, the democratic trend in the country has been continued, purchasing power of people has been increased and the country has attained the status of developing nation.

She added that people of the country has got independence through giving vote to their (AL) electoral symbol 'boat', while monga (famine) has been removed and food security has been ensured as they voted to boat.

Sheikh Hasina said the country's people have given vote to Awami League (AL) repeatedly, resulting they are getting the benefit of it.

"Today, we've cut down the poverty rate to 18 percent from 40 percent," she said, mentioning that it would have been reduced further if there was no Covid-19 pandemic and Ukraine-Russia war in the world.

She added even after the pandemic and war the government has been able to keep running the wheel of the country's economy through providing food, medical treatment and others to the people.

She continued: "We are working for the people as AL is remained in power and it is our responsibility to serve the people. We will continue to do it."

Inshallah, Bangladesh is moving ahead and will continue the forward marching, said Sheikh Hasina, referring to Bangladesh's attainment of the status of developing nation in 2021.

"Bangladesh will be a smart country by 2041, where it will have smart people, smart economy, smart society alongside building smart-skilled manpower, and dreams of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be fulfilled," she said.

 Sheikh Hasina in her speech elaborately highlighted how elections were rigged in the past during the regimes of Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia.

She said that Ziaur Rahman spoiled the electoral system of the country by grabbing power illegally. Then HM Ershad followed him and Khaleda Zia followed her brother-in-law Ershad, she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the President of ruling Awami League (AL), said her party always struggled for returning the voting rights of the people to their hands.

She mentioned that she handed over the power in the most peaceful way in 2001 for the first time in the history of Bangladesh.

 Depicting the misrules, violence and tortures unleashed by BNP regimes, she said their tortures can be compared only to the repressions carried out by the then Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.

Noting that none could raise any question over the 2008 general election, the premier said BNP secured only 29 seats (out of 300) in that election, which reflected the condition of BNP clearly.

She said AL and BNP can't be equal as AL was founded in 1949 from the movement for establishing rights of people, where BNP was formed in an illegal way from the cantonment grabbing the state power. "So, their (BNP's) ideology and principle don't match with those of AL," she added.

 Pointing to those who question the human rights situation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said they should protect the human rights of the people of their own countries first.
 
She questioned why those who say there are no human rights in Bangladesh, didn't see the repression committed in 2001, the August 21 grenade attack and what happened in Bangladesh from August 15, 1975 to 1996.
 
Mentioning that her government gave shelter to the persecuted and forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals Rohingya people in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said they took the responsibility of so many people on humanitarian ground. "What can be a big instance of human rights protection from it? It is my question," she said.
 
 She questioned why the AL government would violate human rights when it gave shelter to persecuted people of another country. "How can they say that?" she added.

 She said many people were killed in many places throughout the world. Children are killed in schools and (the people were killed) in shopping malls and streets in gun-shootings regularly even in the USA, she added.

"They should protect the human rights of their own countries first," she said.