People must be given chance to vote without fear: Hasina

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Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina Thursday warned that people must be given the chance to vote without fear for the candidates of their choice, report bdnews24.com and UNB.
Hasina also accused her arch rival BNP-Jamaat duo of creating panic ahead of the polls. "You will vote for the candidates of your choice, and attempts to prevent you from doing that will not be tolerated," she said in Lalbagh at a campaign rally of AL candidate Mostafa Jalal Mahiuddin for Dhaka-7.
Pointing to BNP, she said, "It is their nature to unleash terror, and for that everyone needs to remain alert. In the last election, they stuffed ten million extra voters in the list, but those fake names have been deleted from the new photo-based voter list."
She thanked the caretaker government and the military for the photo-based voter list. "This list will be a milestone for the nation."
"This is an election where peace, development and security are pitted against terrorism, corruption and militancy," she said.
The former prime minister took a swipe at Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, BNP candidate for the Dhaka-7 seat. "All of you know the BNP candidate and his past. In 1994, after the mayoral election, murders were committed in Lalbagh at his order.
"Even from jail he carried out his nefarious acts, and he went to the extent of beating up a deputy jailor. You have to decide if you will vote him or for a gentleman like Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin," the Awami League chief said.
After 2001, there has not been any development in the Lalbagh area, and the promised water treatment plant did not see the light of day, she reminded her audience.
Hasina reiterated her pledge to build new educational institutions, and create employment opportunities and facilities for trade and business.
Terming her five-year rule from 1996 to 2001 as "golden era", the Awami League chief criticised what she said rampant corruption, price hike and terrorism under the previous BNP-led alliance government.
At the rally, city AL president MA Aziz, acting general secretary Kamrul Islam, and AL's deputy campaign secretary Asim Kumar Ukil were present.