Govt wants to amend constitution to ensure change of state power thru ballot: PM
Sangsad Bhaban, Jul 22 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Parliament Thursday said that her government wants to amend the constitution to ensure the change of state power through ballot instead of bullet.
“We want to establish the sovereignty of the people, sprit of liberation war and continuity of the democratic dispensation in the country,” she said in a valedictory statement before the prorogation of the budget session of the House.
Hasina said a special committee was formed to prepare a report on the amendments of the constitution and submit the report to Parliament.
“We wanted the name from the opposition for the committee but they did not respond. They could give their name and discuss what they want in the committee,” she told the House.
She assured that the Special Committee would be reconstituted if the opposition gives their name.
Criticizing the opposition role, the Prime Minister said it is difficult to understand the mindset of the opposition that “does not care Parliament and court verdict.”
She alleged that the opposition doesn’t want the continuation of the democratic process in the country.
In this regard, Hasina said that during the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) election, the BNP raised the issue of vote rigging, but they won in the election. “Can we say they (BNP) did the vote rigging in the election being in the opposition party?”
She said that the BNP and its allies did not want the democracy and the voting rights of the people as “they took birth illegally.”
The Prime Minister mentioned that the opposition called the June 27 strike “without having any issue and set fire to Faruk after bringing him down from a vehicle.”
She also said that the picketers hit engineer Kashem with blunt instrument. “This is their character; they always wanted to kill people like they did after 2001.”
She said that the BNP-Jammal alliance by forming the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had “killed around 400 people” in the first year of the formation of the elite force.
Hasina criticized the opposition leader Khaldea Zia for presenting her shadow budget outside the Parliament. “I’m not sure why she gave it in a five-star hotel,” she said.
She alleged that the opposition leader doesn’t want the development of the country and that’s why she threatened the government officials.
“The government officials do not belong to any party, they work for whoever forms the government,” she said.
The Prime Minister again criticized the “whitening of black money” by the opposition leader, her sons and the former Finance Minister.
“Why you did this? If you don’t have back money why pay fine to the NBR to whiten your money?” she said.
Mentioning that her government assumed office amid so many problems like power and gas crisis, and BDR mutiny, Hasina said.
She alleged that the opposition leader was in hiding for three days during the BDR incidents. “Where have you been?” she asked.
She said that the government is committed to try the culprits involved in the BDR carnage. “And we will fulfill our commitment.”
About the BNP’s “demand” for coming to Parliament in lieu of withdrawal of the government notice over Khaleda’s cantonment residence, the Prime Minister said that after the death of Zia the then government took the decision in the cabinet to provide one house for her.
“You chose the Gulshan house. Now why are you occupying the cantonment house?”
Hasina said that as under the BNP-Jamaat regime, she and her party leaders and workers were oppressed and tortured during the caretaker government.
She said that the caretaker government did one thing and that was “unmasking” the BNP and its allies as corrupt persons before the people. “But the caretaker government, to maintain a balance, resorted to torture on me and my party men.”
The Prime Minister said that the caretaker government tried their level best for the ‘minus two formula’, but failed due to the pressure from both within and outside the country.
“At last, the caretaker government was forced to announce the election and the people gave us their mandate.”
Describing the mandate as historic, she said the present government would give a proper return to the people for putting their trust and confidence in the Awami League-led grand alliance government.
She said that to fulfill the wishes of the people her government is quickly implementing the development projects. “We’re holding regular meetings with the secretaries and other high officials.”
About the power crisis, Hasina said that the government put utmost importance on the development of the power sector. After taking office, the present government took various effective steps to increase power generation.
“And the generation also increased, but the demand is sky high as BNP-Jamaat government and caretaker government did not take any step for producing power during their tenure.”
She said that during the BNP-Jammat and caretaker regimes there were “no maintenance works” in the power plants.
She said the government is very much aware of the power crisis, but the problem that accumulated over seven years cannot be resolved within one and a half year.
The Prime Minister said that her government has set a target for power generation and is working hard towards that direction.
She also said that soon after taking office, her government faced the worldwide economic meltdown and the price-hike of essentials.
“We handled those successfully and managed to reduce the price of rice,” she said adding: “The economy of the country is doing pretty well.”
But she said that considering the farmers’ welfare the government increased the rice price in phases.
Hasina said the opposition is now getting more scope in Parliament than during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
She said that during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, the “oppression on the opposition party was immense and everybody knows that.”
The Prime Minister again requested the opposition party to come to Parliament in the next session and say whatever they like.
“Come to Parliament for the sake of democracy,” she said.
“We want to establish the sovereignty of the people, sprit of liberation war and continuity of the democratic dispensation in the country,” she said in a valedictory statement before the prorogation of the budget session of the House.
Hasina said a special committee was formed to prepare a report on the amendments of the constitution and submit the report to Parliament.
“We wanted the name from the opposition for the committee but they did not respond. They could give their name and discuss what they want in the committee,” she told the House.
She assured that the Special Committee would be reconstituted if the opposition gives their name.
Criticizing the opposition role, the Prime Minister said it is difficult to understand the mindset of the opposition that “does not care Parliament and court verdict.”
She alleged that the opposition doesn’t want the continuation of the democratic process in the country.
In this regard, Hasina said that during the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) election, the BNP raised the issue of vote rigging, but they won in the election. “Can we say they (BNP) did the vote rigging in the election being in the opposition party?”
She said that the BNP and its allies did not want the democracy and the voting rights of the people as “they took birth illegally.”
The Prime Minister mentioned that the opposition called the June 27 strike “without having any issue and set fire to Faruk after bringing him down from a vehicle.”
She also said that the picketers hit engineer Kashem with blunt instrument. “This is their character; they always wanted to kill people like they did after 2001.”
She said that the BNP-Jammal alliance by forming the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had “killed around 400 people” in the first year of the formation of the elite force.
Hasina criticized the opposition leader Khaldea Zia for presenting her shadow budget outside the Parliament. “I’m not sure why she gave it in a five-star hotel,” she said.
She alleged that the opposition leader doesn’t want the development of the country and that’s why she threatened the government officials.
“The government officials do not belong to any party, they work for whoever forms the government,” she said.
The Prime Minister again criticized the “whitening of black money” by the opposition leader, her sons and the former Finance Minister.
“Why you did this? If you don’t have back money why pay fine to the NBR to whiten your money?” she said.
Mentioning that her government assumed office amid so many problems like power and gas crisis, and BDR mutiny, Hasina said.
She alleged that the opposition leader was in hiding for three days during the BDR incidents. “Where have you been?” she asked.
She said that the government is committed to try the culprits involved in the BDR carnage. “And we will fulfill our commitment.”
About the BNP’s “demand” for coming to Parliament in lieu of withdrawal of the government notice over Khaleda’s cantonment residence, the Prime Minister said that after the death of Zia the then government took the decision in the cabinet to provide one house for her.
“You chose the Gulshan house. Now why are you occupying the cantonment house?”
Hasina said that as under the BNP-Jamaat regime, she and her party leaders and workers were oppressed and tortured during the caretaker government.
She said that the caretaker government did one thing and that was “unmasking” the BNP and its allies as corrupt persons before the people. “But the caretaker government, to maintain a balance, resorted to torture on me and my party men.”
The Prime Minister said that the caretaker government tried their level best for the ‘minus two formula’, but failed due to the pressure from both within and outside the country.
“At last, the caretaker government was forced to announce the election and the people gave us their mandate.”
Describing the mandate as historic, she said the present government would give a proper return to the people for putting their trust and confidence in the Awami League-led grand alliance government.
She said that to fulfill the wishes of the people her government is quickly implementing the development projects. “We’re holding regular meetings with the secretaries and other high officials.”
About the power crisis, Hasina said that the government put utmost importance on the development of the power sector. After taking office, the present government took various effective steps to increase power generation.
“And the generation also increased, but the demand is sky high as BNP-Jamaat government and caretaker government did not take any step for producing power during their tenure.”
She said that during the BNP-Jammat and caretaker regimes there were “no maintenance works” in the power plants.
She said the government is very much aware of the power crisis, but the problem that accumulated over seven years cannot be resolved within one and a half year.
The Prime Minister said that her government has set a target for power generation and is working hard towards that direction.
She also said that soon after taking office, her government faced the worldwide economic meltdown and the price-hike of essentials.
“We handled those successfully and managed to reduce the price of rice,” she said adding: “The economy of the country is doing pretty well.”
But she said that considering the farmers’ welfare the government increased the rice price in phases.
Hasina said the opposition is now getting more scope in Parliament than during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
She said that during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, the “oppression on the opposition party was immense and everybody knows that.”
The Prime Minister again requested the opposition party to come to Parliament in the next session and say whatever they like.
“Come to Parliament for the sake of democracy,” she said.
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