Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said that democracy in Bangladesh is practised only by her party Awami League which has a history of holding free elections.
“Awami League practises the democratic system and fair democratic practices prevail during Awami League regime,” she said.
The prime minister, now on a four-day official visit to Japan, said this while speaking at a civic reception at Westin Hotel in Tokyo.
She said all elections under the Awami League regime were held fairly.
In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said the former president of Bangladesh Md Abdul Hamid made history by completing his two terms peacefully.
“This has been the first time in the history of the country that the outgoing president and the new president could complete all related procedures peacefully. This is a democratic process,” she said.
The Awami League chief said former military dictator Ziaur Rahman destroyed the election process during his military regime. The process was continued by another military ruler HM Ershad and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
She mentioned that there was no political stability in 29 years out of 50 years of Bangladesh after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.
“There was no democratic process and there was no democratic rule of law in those days.”
She slammed those who fail to see democracy and development in the country.
Sheikh Hasina said the opposition BNP's history is so tarnished that it has no face to take part in elections.
She said that in the 2008 election, the BNP-Jamaat alliance got only 30 seats while Awami League-led grand alliance bagged all other seats. “For that reason, they [BNP-Jamaat] did not take part in the 2014 election.”
Referring to the arson terrorism by the BNP-Jamaat nexus in 2013-15, she said they killed at least 500 people and destroyed many government and private establishments. “Now how could they participate in the election and seek votes from the people?”
She urged all to remain alert so that the country remains free from militancy, terrorism and drugs.
