BSS-43 PM compares Dec 30 polls with 1970 elections

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BSS-43

PM-SHRINGLA-ELECTIONS

PM compares Dec 30 polls with 1970 elections

DHAKA, Jan 02, 2019 (BSS) – Comparing the December 30 elections with the 1970 polls, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the people of the country cast their votes this time seeing the symbol not the candidates.

“It was like the 1970 polls. The people cast their votes just seeing the symbol … they didn’t see who the candidates were,” she said, adding they cast their votes for ‘boat’ as they’re getting fruits of development.

The premier expressed this view when Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla paid a farewell call on her at Ganabhaban here this evening.

After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.

Describing the just-concluded elections as peaceful, the premier said it has been possible due to cooperation of all like civil administration and armed forces, Police, BGB, Ansar, Coast Guards.

“All parties participated in the elections,” she said.

While talking about the bilateral relations, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh and India solved many problems like land boundary and maritime boundary amicably and through discussion.

“It will remain as an example for others to follow to deal with the neighbors,” she said.

The high commissioner extended his heartiest congratulations to the prime minister on securing her party’s absolute victory in the 11th parliamentary elections.

He said the Awami League’s landslide victory in the polls is the reflection of the stunning development that Bangladesh attained over the last 10 years.

In this connection, Shringla said the people of Bangladesh do not want violence and hartal and they want to live in peace.

The high commissioner informed the prime minister that India media as a whole ran positive reports on Bangladesh’s elections and editorials praised the polls.

Shringla highly appreciated Bangladesh’s socioeconomic development under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying that the country is now a changed regional power in terms of economic development and women empowerment.

“Bangladesh witnessed massive development in the field of economy and women empowerment in the last couple of years and it was too fast,” she said.

Pointing out Bangladesh’s existing communal harmony, the high commissioner praised the prime minister’s slogan – religion is for individuals and festival is for all.

He recalled his sweet memories during his tenure in Bangladesh and said the people of the country are very warm. Shringla said he along with his wife watched the docudrama – “Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale” – and were deeply touched with seeing the docudrama.

He also said they visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and Liberation War Museum here.

The prime minister and the high commissioner expressed the hope that the bilateral relations will be strengthened further in the days to come.

PM’s International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin and the high commissioner’s wife were present.

BSS/SH/MRU/2217hrs