The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday told the parliament that after the fifteenth amendment to the constitution, the government was planning ways to strengthen the Election Commission to ensure free, fare and credible elections.
She also held the BNP-led opposition alliance responsible for causing sufferings to the people by enforcing general strikes without any valid ground.
'After bringing about the amendment to the constitution, now we are planning how to strengthen the Election Commission to ensure fair elections,' Hasina said in her concluding speech in the parliament.
She said that the Supreme Court verdict and the opinions of elected people's representatives were taken in consideration in the amendment to the constitution to
ensure people's democratic right.
'I do not know what the BNP is thinking about this,' she said urging the leader of the opposition to attend the parliament to discuss the issue.
'The union council elections were held across the country but none could level any allegations against the government of exerting any pressure on the Election Commission,' she said.
Criticising the opposition lawmakers for pelting police vehicles with stones, the leader of the parliament also accused opposition parties of enforcing the general strike to cause sufferings to the people.
'They [BNP] are enforcing general strike but their mills and industries remained open. Are they enforcing general strike only to cause sufferings to the people?' Hasina said adding that the strike might also harm investors in the capital market.
'I want to ask the leader of the opposition in the parliament whether general strikes are being enforced to destroy the investors in the stock market,' she said.
The prime minister said that the general strikes were being enforced to save the family of Khaleda Zia from charges of money laundering and grenade attack and to save war criminals.
'It is unfortunate that a lawmaker will throw stone at police vehicles. People do not expect it from a lawmaker,' Hasina said adding that the people expected gentle behaviour from an elected representative.
'The immediate-past BNP-led government did not investigate the incident of August 21, 2004 grenade attack and staged a drama by involving George Mia,' she said. 'They even said that I had carried the grenades in my purse to commit suicide.'
The reluctance of the past government at investigating the incident made their involvement in the grenade attack clear and it has now been proved, she said.
She also said that the budget for the 2011–2012 financial year had been aimed at ridding people of poverty.
The prime minister said that the people had elected the Awami League-led alliance to ensure their right and the government would work to ensure economic emancipation of the people.
Source : New Age
