Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says that the existing Election Commission was formed through a transparent process, which can administer free and fair national polls as a congenial atmosphere is there.
In an interview with Voice of America on Saturday before flying for London, Hasina was asked how she would see the pre-polls political atmosphere, the current Election Commission and whether there was a level playing field if she was the opposition.
“The Election Commission has been formed through a transparent process which involved a search panel. And of course, there’s a congenial atmosphere in the country for the polls. The commission will be able to hold a free and fair election,” she replied.
Responding to query on how the Awami League will do in the upcoming election, Hasina said the people were free to cast their franchises in the almost 6,000 local government elections in the last five years.
“The next general election will be a free and fair one, where people will vote to elect their representatives to form a government,” she said.
On recent statements by leaders of India’s ruling BJP on deporting illegal immigrants to Bangladesh, the prime minister described those as political rhetoric.
“I do not think Bangladeshi citizens are staying there illegally as we have a strong economy,” she said before adding that the people in concern were indeed Indian citizens.
“Now if they want to identify someone as illegal, it’s their internal matter. But I have discussed it with the prime minister (India’s Narendra Modi). They say there are no plans to deport anyone,” said Hasina.
Responding to a query on the Rohingya crisis, she said it was the people of Bangladesh who had cooperated with her the most.
“The response was phenomenal, especially the people of Cox’s Bazar... I thank them as well as the different countries and all the international aid agencies... The whole world has stood beside Bangladesh,” said the prime minister.
On Bangladesh’s future plans for the Rohingyas, Hasina said that the international agencies were working for creating a conducive environment in Rakhine.
“What we want is to repatriate a batch of Rohingyas and see how they are treated. Moreover, we have already started building shelters in Bashan Char to relocate the Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar,” she said.