Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the absolute win of Awami League in the January 7 election was the victory of Bangladesh, its people, and continuation of democracy and development.
The prime minister was addressing several hundred expatriate Awami League leaders from across the globe who gathered at the Gono Bhaban to congratulate her on her party`s fourth consecutive win in the parliamentary election.
Hasina, who is also the chief of ruling Awami League, said her government has been able to ensure people`s right to vote in this month`s election.
"We have ensured the constitutional right of the people," she said.
She also said the election was highly competitive as Awami League opened the contest to all.
"We have given our electoral symbol, boat, to our candidates and asked others from the party to participate in the election, whoever were interested," she said.
Talking about BNP, which did not participate in the election, she asked how they would come to the election.
"In 2008 election BNP with their 20 party alliance got 30 seats only while AL alone bagged 233 seats," she added. That election was held under a neutral caretaker government.
In this connection, she mentioned that many people thought in 2008 that BNP was equal to Awami League considering the organisational strength.
"But it was proven wrong in the 2008 election," she said.
After that, she said, BNP never wanted elections. They instead unleashed arson attacks killing people and set fire to trains to foil the elections.
"The more they
unleash the arson attacks, the more people will reject them. They know that they were rejected by the people," she said.The prime minister said that was why the BNP did not want to participate in the election.
"Rather, they wanted to spoil the election and looked toward illegal ways to be in the power," she said.
