Europe knew I would win the election: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Friday assured the people that there will be no shortage of essential commodities during the upcoming Holy Month of Ramadan.

“There will be no shortage of anything (essential commodities) in Ramadan. All arrangements have already been made. There will be no problem,” she said.

The prime minister made the assurance while briefing newspersons about her recent visit to Germany where she attended the Munich Security Conference, 2024 and held bilateral meetings with several global leaders.

About the essential commodities during Ramadan, Sheikh Hasina said there is an arrangement to import sufficient amounts of goods like gram, dates, sugar and other items as well. “So, there will be no problem with this as we have made arrangements for those much earlier.”

The prime minister went to Munich on 15 February and returned home on 19 February.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Deputy Leader of the House Begum Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, among others, were present on the dais.

PM’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam moderated the event.

In response to a question regarding price hike and conspiracy to overthrow the government and famine, the prime minister said that there was a big conspiracy to prevent the election.

She said that the conspiracy was also to dissociate the government from the people by increasing the prices of goods.

As the vested quarters understood that they couldn’t prevent the election, the conspirators had hatched this before the election, added the prime minister.

In this connection, she also mentioned the incidents including arson terrorism were perpetrated on 28 October last year, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

“The plot was to oust the government. . . You all know who they are. I don’t want to name anyone. I don’t even need to say. But the plot still exists,” said Sheikh Hasina.

Regarding the manipulation in increasing the price of daily goods, she mentioned the price hike of eggs through hiding those.

She added, “Don’t you think those who want to overthrow the government have some tricks too?”

She also mentioned the situation of onion crisis, saying that suddenly the shortage of huge quantities of onions appeared. Later the stored onion were rotten and required to be thrown into the water.

“What should be done to these people? You tell me. They should be beaten by a mob,” she said.

The prime minister stated that she herself produces crops in Ganabhaban, while people in her village home and constituency started following the example.

She urged the people across the country to use their fallow lands for agriculture as well.

The prime minister said that there was no discussion about Bangladesh’s election during the meeting with global leaders on the sidelines of Munich Security Conference in Germany.

In replying to a query, Sheikh Hasina, who became prime minister for the fourth time in a row, said that there was no talk with them about the election.

“They have no worry, no comment, no question about the election,” she said, adding, “There was no talk about the election, most of the talk was bilateral.”

The prime minister said, “We have state-level relations with European countries. Besides, we have an advantage because of personal relations. No one spoke about the election. They themselves knew that I would win the election.”

She continued, “Those who don’t want (to see me in power again) they speak up about it.”

Sheikh Hasina said that the thought that the election of the countries, which took 10-12 days to announce the election results, is free and fair and in Bangladesh, the results came within 24-48 hours of election, is not free and fair. “We don’t have any medicine for this disease. I believe that our strength is our people.”

Sheikh Hasina said, “We have a good friendship with European countries. France will provide us US$ 1 billion for climate change.”

The prime minister stated that the aim in this new tenure of her government is to pull the country ahead as a developing nation in the next 5 years as they won the national election on 7 January this year and formed a government for the fourth consecutive term.

Replying to another question regarding the goal in this new tenure of her government, Sheikh Hasina expressed that her goal is to maintain the democratic trend that Bangladesh is now enjoying and execution of the status of developing nation which is scheduled to begin officially in 2026.

The people are getting the benefit as they have ensured the democratic process, she remarked. “The people of the country are getting good results (of continued democracy). We wished for this continuity to be maintained and we will move forward as a developing country.”

The prime minister insisted that in the next five years they will focus on utilising the time appropriately as Bangladesh will begin its journey as a developing nation in 2026. “We have already formed various committees and are working in that way.”

Referring to the announcement of their long-term plan “Vision-2041”, she said, “There the quality of the life of every person will improve and Bangladesh will be a developed and prosperous country. That is our goal.”

Sheikh Hasina noted that if politics is for the people, then that politics works for the people and for the welfare of the people. And if politics is only about grabbing and enjoying power, then people will not get anything, she added.

She also observed that Bangladesh has a lack of political parties.

Bangladesh Awami League (AL) was formed in 1949 by talking about the people, she recalled, adding that the Awami League has moved forward through all the agitations and struggles, but no other parties in Bangladesh have such history, rather they were born from the pocket of military dictators and power.

In response to a query on her saree, the prime minister said that the saree she was wearing was not French chiffon but this handloom saree is from Shafipur Ansar Academy, which she identified as “Shafipur chiffon”.

“It should be understood that I am with the soil and people of this country. I wear sarees from Tangail too and an application has been filed for its patent rights,” she said.

The prime minister said that there are many international platforms, but the forums do not work in times of need.

Responding to a question, Sheikh Hasina said that she is not thinking of taking any initiative to create a new platform with the emerging powers as she is busy with Bangladesh and the large population on a small land. “I am an ordinary person. I am busy with my country and its people, the large population on a small land (of the country).”

“Yes, I raise my voice and protest where I see any injustice. I always say that I don’t want war, rather I want peace,” she asserted.

Speaking about the Palestine situation, the Bangladesh prime minister said vetoes are given even over proposals to stop the Gaza war in the United Nations Security Council as had been during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

But, genocide continues in Gaza where even hospitals are not being spared of attacks and children don’t have foods, she added.

“I protest such things. I am conscious enough over my power whatever I have. I don’t think that I need to do anything bigger than it,” she said.

The prime minister said that she has already asked the appropriate authority to activate the traffic light signalling system on a larger scale instead of the manual signalling system in Dhaka city to ease traffic congestion.

When her attention was drawn to the traffic in the upcoming Ramadan, Sheikh Hasina said, “I talked to IGP yesterday (Thursday) and asked him to take measures to activate the traffic light system in a better way so our traffic congestion can be eased.”

She said there is no additional pressure of traffic on the city streets now like before the metrorail era. So, there is a scope to go for the traffic light system, she added.