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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated that the election process only becomes transparent during the tenure of the Awami League government which was not in the past, saying AL always comes to the power through the people's votes, reports BSS.
She said, "Awami League (AL) never came to the power through rigging votes rather it always comes to the power through the votes of the people."
Sheikh Hasina said this while responding to a question at a press conference held at Bangladesh Permanent Mission in the United Nations in New York.
"Who are those people who wanted to raise questions regarding elections? AL always fought to establish democracy in the country".
Hasina categorically said that people will cast their votes freely in the elections and assured BNP that there is nothing to be worried about.
"I think they (BNP) are really worried when there will be a transparent election, as they are not going to get the scope to be in the power through vote rigging and keeping 1.23 crore fake voters in the voters' list. Otherwise, there is nothing to be worried about," she said.
Hasina said that she doesn't know what is there to give so much importance to those people's questions regarding the election those who never came to the power by getting votes from the people.
"People cast their votes in the election freely in 2009, 2014 and 2018 elections held under such environment," she added.
Talking about the participation of the BNP in the election, she said, BNP didn't participate in the 2014 elections. It was their party's decision.
Sheikh Hasina said, "They knew that they don't have any possibility to come to the power through an accurate election process. They are habituated to come to the power through killing, coups and conspiracy. That is the reality."
The Prime Minister firmly said that the AL government has ensured the people's right to vote.
Hasina also claimed that the AL government has put the election process of the country on the right track which had been derailed during the military regimes and BNP-Jamaat tenures.
About Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs), she said that EVM is a modern system and used in many countries around the world.
"We saw that the elections where the EVM was used got quicker election results and people could give their votes freely," she said.
Answering another question on 'with what you are returning home from this UNGA', Sheikh Hasina replied that "Friendship, I am returning home with friendship for Bangladesh and everyone tried to say that about the development of Bangladesh."
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
