‘We want to leave creating a future generation’: PM

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DHAKA, Jan 8, 2019 (BSS) – Noting that the people have accepted the new cabinet, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today categorically said she presented a new cabinet as her party wants to leave by creating a future generation.

“We’ve given responsibility to the new generation to see that how they can perform and we want to leave by creating a future generation…the changes have been made for this — and it’s my clear word,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina added: “We will always keep them under surveillance and we want to see who do what works”.

The prime minister made the comments when the members of the new cabinet, the Awami League Central Working Committee and the AL Advisory Council greeted her at Ganabhaban here tonight on the occasion of installation of her government for the third consecutive term.

The prime minister said the members of the previous cabinet were axed from the council of ministers not for their failure.

“Everybody who was in the previous cabinet has massive success…it’s not correct that you (new ministers) have been placed in the cabinet due to the failure of the former ministers,” she said.

She continued: “The country is advancing fast as everybody has a success”.

Referring to Bangladesh’s 41st rank among the world’s largest economies in 2019, the prime minister said the country has come to such a place due to the hard labour of all.

“It’s now your responsibility to advance this position and this success doesn’t go in vain…you’ll have to take steps by understanding and knowing all things,” she told the new ministers.

The AL president said many of the former ministers performed their responsibilities for 10 years at a stretch. “So, I wanted to bring new things…in fact, they became over 70 years old,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said: “I want to present a new generation so that they can receive training and learn new things”.

The prime minister also mentioned that she wanted to make ministers from those districts where there was no minister in the past. “We accounted that there are some districts which had no ministers in 1996, 2008 and 2014 cabinets of our government…so I tried to appoint ministers from those districts.”

She said although it is a common perception that the areas which have ministers witness more development, the Awami League government made equal development of the country’s all the areas. “We didn’t deprive anyone,” Sheikh Hasina said.

Accusing again the BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront of doing nomination trade, the premier said they lost in the December 30 elections due to their own faults.

“They gave nominations to those who have money but no experience in participating elections…they axed their own feet,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP gave nomination to 3/4 candidates first and then changed their candidates at every moment. “Some BNP candidates who purchased nominations in exchange for money tried to submit nomination papers through the Bangladesh embassy and failing to do so, they left after shouting,” she said.

“They axed their own feet and they staged such many incidents,” she said.

The prime minister said she heard that two BNP candidates came from Malaysia to contest the elections after buying nominations in exchange for huge amount of money.

“They gave nominations to such candidates whom the people do not know,” she said, adding the BNP not only did nomination trade, but also auctioned the seat.

The AL president said the people of the country returned face from the BNP due to its misrule, harbouring terrorism and militancy from 2001 to 2006.

Sheikh Hasina said the people did not accept the BNP’s misdeeds like burning people to death, bribery, corruption, money laundering, 10 trucks arms smuggling, the August 21 grenade attack and embezzling orphans’ money. “So, their votes have declined to a great extent,” she said.

The prime minister said her party gave nominations to the potential candidates after thinking and carrying out surveys.

“Two years after the formation of the government, we conducted surveys after every six months. We gave nominations to the candidates not only on the basis of surveys carried out by the agencies, we also engaged international organisations in this regard and that’s why we secured landslide victory in the polls,” she said.

Pointing out that there was a similarity between the results of the 2008 and 2018 elections, the AL president said there are no significant differences between the two elections. “We got same results…we got some more seats due to the nominations given by the BNP,” she said.

The prime minister said the BNP-led Oikyafront could not fix that who would be their prime minister after the election. “Their two leaders are convicted and one of them is fugitive…they would not have witnessed such election debacle had they selected their leader who is staying in Bangladesh,” she said.

Extending her sincere thanks to the countrymen for reelecting the Awami League, the prime minister said her party witnessed unprecedented response from the people. “There was a huge desire from the children to elderly people that they will cast vote for boat,” she said.

“Peace will not prevail in the country and the BNP would have started carrying out genocide if they came to power,” she said.

Referring to the BNP-Jamaat atrocities on the people after the 2001 elections, the AL chief said they raped numerous women, including Fahima, Mohima, Ruma and Bedana, like the 1971. “They gang raped six-year-old Ojufa,” she said.

“Many dead bodies would have been fallen and the BNP would have committed same crimes had they come to power,” she added.