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PM Warns Against External Interference in Bangladesh Elections
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reaffirmed her government’s commitment to conducting the upcoming elections in Bangladesh fairly and without interference, emphasizing that the people of Bangladesh will not accept any external attempts to disrupt the electoral process. She made these remarks during a press conference held at the Bangladesh Mission in New York, where she was attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly.
The prime minister underscored that her party, the Awami League, relies on the trust and power vested in them by the people, as enshrined in the constitution. She also warned that any efforts to obstruct the elections would face resistance from the Bangladeshi people.
Addressing recent visa restrictions, Sheikh Hasina expressed hope that these restrictions would apply to all parties, including the opposition, to prevent any attempts to hinder the election process. She mentioned that the upcoming general elections would proceed smoothly as long as there are no actions akin to the arson attacks that occurred in 2013-14, which were aimed at disrupting the polls.
Sheikh Hasina emphasized that the Awami League’s legitimacy is derived from the voters and not dependent on external factors. She also highlighted her government’s commitment to working for the welfare of the people and stated that they would not be deterred by sanctions.
The prime minister recalled her decision to allow Khaleda Zia, a convicted figure in a corruption case, to receive medical treatment at home while suspending her jail sentence. She mentioned the government’s efforts to establish an independent election commission with economic autonomy.
Sheikh Hasina discussed proposals for transparent ballot boxes and a voter list with photographs to ensure fairness in elections, citing concerns over past attempts to manipulate the voter list. She emphasized that elections, including by-elections and local government elections, have been conducted fairly and spontaneously under her government’s leadership.
Regarding corruption, she acknowledged the importance of combating it to achieve development and noted her government’s efforts to bring development to all levels of society. Sheikh Hasina encouraged Bangladeshi expatriates to send remittances through legal channels and urged them not to be swayed by propaganda.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
