Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday dismissed Opposition’s demands for electoral reforms, saying she will not “budge an inch” on constitutional provision and reinstate a caretaker Government system.
“I believe in Constitution and the election will be in line with the Constitution... I won’t budge an inch,” she said rejecting the Opposition demand of reinstating the caretaker Government system for election oversight. “What is the reason of inviting trouble to people’s lives demonstrating for reinstating the provisionIJ... We want to bring you towards the light, but what you want to see is darkness,” she told a press conference at her office here.
The Supreme Court termed caretaker Government illegal and the parliament passed 15th amendment to the constitution two years ago abolishing the provision, she said, adding the Opposition’s demand is disregarding the court’s judgement. Her comments came as Bangladesh politics plunged into a deeper impasse in the past three days while main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)’s acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said it was unlikely that the ruling Awami league (Al) and Opposition parties would be able to forge consensus on electoral reforms.
Hasina slammed her arch rival in an emotionally choked voice for celebrating a “fake birthday”, coinciding with the death anniversary of her father and Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “It is not possible for us to compromise with those who celebrate a ‘fake birthday’ on the death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” Awami league general secretary and local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said.