PM urges Khaleda, meets AL nomination seekers
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government is ready
to offer any ministry to the BNP if the main opposition party joins the
polls-time cabinet.Urging opposition leader Khaleda Zia to participate in the upcoming general election, she said, “Give names [for cabinet berths]. We are ready to sacrifice anything for the welfare of the country and the people.”
Hasina, also the ruling Awami League president, was addressing a gathering of those seeking party nomination for the 10th national polls.
Around 3,000 aspirants attended the programme at the Gono Bhaban. The AL chief gave them directions about preparations and campaign for the election and asked them to work together for those who would be on the party ticket.
“You all have to work to win people’s confidence. It doesn’t matter who gets nomination. You all have to work for boat [AL election symbol],” she said.
Hasina also said the nominations would be given on the basis of opinions of the grassroots and several survey reports.
None of the aspirants spoke at the meet.
About the polls-time government, the prime minister said all the parties, except for the BNP, had joined it.
However, only four parties — AL, Jatiya Party, Workers Party and JSD — have representatives in the newly formed election-time cabinet, while two leaders each from Samyabadi Dal and JP (Manju) have been made advisers to the PM.
No component of the BNP-led 18-party alliance has agreed to be part of the interim government.
Hasina alleged the BNP and Jamaat have merged and are killing innocent people in the name of agitation, as these two parties “do not believe in a Bangladesh founded on the spirit of Liberation War”.
Citing her meeting with President Abdul Hamid last week, Hasina said, “The honourable president has advised me to keep the cabinet smaller and I have taken steps accordingly. Now he will advise the Election Commission to announce the election schedule.”
She added the election would be free and fair, and people would exercise their voting rights without any fear.
Also at the programme, AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the AL would come to power again with absolute majority if the party’s leaders and activists remained united.
He asked all the aspirants to work hard to win the nomination.
