Election will be on time, BNP can’t stop it: Hasina

Staff correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said BNP won’t be able to stop the next general election by resorting to violence as they had failed to foil the 2014 and 2018 polls.
“They won’t be able to stop the election in such a way (through unleashing violence). They couldn’t stop the elections in 2013 and 2018. This time too they won’t be able to do so. Inshallah, the election will be held in time,” she said.
The premier said this while addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban to speak about the outcomes of her recent visit to Belgium.
She said those who burn buses will be identified, arrested and punished.
“I think the hands they use to set a bus on fire should be burned immediately. If so, they will get a lesson or else not,” she said replying to a question from a journalist.
The PM hoped that the BNP would stop the violence. “If they don’t stop, they will face the consequences for it,” she said, adding that these things won’t be allowed to go without punishment.
In reply to another question, Sheikh Hasina said BNP has again proved that it is a terrorist party by resorting to violence on October 28 last.
“BNP-Jamaat jote is terrorists. BNP is a terrorist party, which they proved again,” she said, adding that a Canadian court earlier called them so several times.
BNP started regaining public trust and confidence gradually as they were carrying out political programmes in healthy manners (in the recent days), she said, adding that the government didn’t hinder their programmes.
“But they would get nothing other than public indignation after the October 28 incident,” she said strongly condemning the attacks on police and journalists by BNP men on that day.
The prime minister said their (BNP) habit wouldn’t change no matter how much good behavior the government does with them.
“I think they don’t want an election rather they want to create an abnormal situation,” she said.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said their character is to create sufferings of the people.
“BNP is a terrorist organisation. I think now we should give the terrorists a lesson which they deserve. So, we’ll do it,” she said.
The PM returned home on October 27 last, wrapping up her three-day official visit to Belgium where she attended the “Global Gateway Forum 2023” held on October 25-26 in Brussels at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.