City elections prove polls can be fair under AL govt: PM

Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina has said that they have proved elections could be fair under her government by holding the recent city corporation elections in a free and fair manner, reports BSS.
"We have proved that the election under the Awami League government could be free and none can make complaints against it," she said referring to the recent elections to Barishal, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi city corporations as well as local government election and by-elections.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while presiding over the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka on Thursday, a day ahead of the party's 74th founding anniversary.
Sheikh Hasina called upon the countries closely monitoring the elections in Bangladesh to thoroughly examine the recently held elections, where people exercised their voting rights spontaneously.
"But, in the by-elections during the BNP regime, people could not go to the polling centres to cast their votes, as they (BNP) looted the ballots so that their candidates can win the elections," she added.
In this context, she pointed to the by-elections in Tejgaon, Mirpur and Magura during the BNP regime, and said: "They were born for vote robbery and this is their habit."
Referring to the recent city corporation elections, Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen for electing the AL candidates the mayors of Barishal, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet.
She said the BNP, which was declared a terrorist organisation by a Canadian court, is now calling the AL 'vote thief'.
"Awami League does not need to rig votes, as it works for the welfare of the country, thus achieving the trust and confidence of its people," she said.
The AL president said whenever her party has faced defeat, it was due to conspiracies.