Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said that opposition BNP appeared to have sensed their defeat in the December 30 general election which could drive them to sabotage the polls.
Hasina was addressing election campaign rallies in Comilla, Jessore, Tangail, Pabna, and Panchagarh districts via videoconference from her personal Sudha Sadan residence in Dhaka in the afternoon.
She also introduced the candidates to the people of the respective districts and urged them to elect them in the polls, scheduled for Sunday.
Wrapping up the election campaign for Awami League and the ruling party-led Grand Alliance, she particularly asked party leaders and activists to enforce a vigil against possible action from the opposition to upset the polls.
“They (BNP) could carry out an attack on Awami League leaders and activists as well,” she said, adding that the opposition party has already killed five Awami League leaders, injured 141, attacked 170 election offices and houses, and exploded bombs in 54 places.
The Awami League chief asked her party leaders and activists to inform law enforcement agencies about any subversive activity but simultaneously asked them not to obstruct the BNP in carrying out its election campaigns.
“We want every political party to contest in the election. It’s their right and people will cast their vote according to their choice… so every political party should conduct their election campaign freely and fairly,” she said.
Hasina expressed her firm conviction that the people of Bangladesh would give their verdict in favour of her party, saying: “the people would cast votes for ‘boat’ to ensure the victory of pro-liberation forces.”
She said BNP needed to change its character before seeking the people’s mandate to come to power and “they (BNP) must stop killing, terrorism, and supporting militancy.”
