None should play with people’s fate: Hasina

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now in Belgium, urged the people to remain united and alert so that no one could play with their fate.
‘The political ambition of certain people can destroy the country and its people. If anyone has political ambition then he will have to come to power with the people’s mandate as there are no alternative options to achieve state power in a democratic system,’ Hasina’s special assistant, Dr Hasan Mahmud, told New Age over the telephone, quoting Hasina.
Hasina was addressing a meeting at Luman Hall in Brussels, jointly organised by the party’s Belgium and European chapters. The AL Belgium unit’s president, Razaul Karim Panna, presided over the meeting.
Hasina said that her party is making all-out preparations to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls, scheduled for December 18, and the elections should not be deferred under any circumstances.
She said the AL’s demand is not only for free, fair and acceptable elections but also for announcement of the true results of the polls. ‘We do not want any further drama over announcement of the polls result like that of the Barisal City Corporation elections,’ said Hasina. She also urged the AL members to be alert against any kind of conspiracy to manipulate the result of the polls.
Demanding immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency, Hasina said the emergency should be lifted so that people can vote freely and their fundamental rights can be restored.
‘I at first placed the reform proposals with the people and the Parliament and also demanded a voters’ roll with photographs, and the caretaker administration has met the demands,’ said the AL chief and asked the interim government to fulfil the people’s desire.
She said it is unfortunate that the expatriate Bangladeshis are yet to be enlisted in the voters’ roll through Bangladesh receives a huge sum of money remitted by them, and vowed to enlist them if the Awami League is voted to power.
Hasina urged expatriate Bangladeshis to make more investments in the productive sectors of the country.
She said that she was ready to sacrifice her life for restoring democracy in the country and pledged to continue her battle. ‘I have faced threats to my life several times but I shall not deviate from my goal of establishing democracy in Bangladesh,’ said Hasina as quoted by Dr Hasan.
She castigated the incumbent government for keeping her behind bars by filing false cases against her.
The meeting was also addressed by the party’s all-European unit’s chairman Anil Dasgupta, Italian unit’s president Mahtab Hossain, the Netherlands unit’s president Mostafa Zaman, French unit’s president Nagim Uddin, Austrian unit’s leader Nazrul Islam and Hasan Mahmud.
Sheikh Hasina’s younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, also addressed the meeting.