No chance to go beyond constitution: Information minister

Parliamentary election will be held as per the constitution of the country and current government will perform duties of poll-time government, said information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will discharge duties of the prime minister during the polls. There is no chance to go beyond the constitution for an inch,” he told journalists at Circuit House in Kurigram before addressing the extended meeting of district unit of AL as the chief guest.

In India, the UK, Australia, Japan, France and Germany in the continental Europe and other democratic countries, existing government perform duties of polls-time government and in the US, existing president doesn’t resign before elections of president, he referred, reports news agency BSS.

BNP is demanding caretaker government system which also exists in Pakistan, he mentioned.

“My question is that why they (BNP) only follows Pakistan. Mirza Fakhrul (BNP secretary general) few days ago said Pakistan (period) was better. So, it is natural that they would follow Pakistan,” Hasan, also joint general secretary of governing Awami League, said.

About BNP’s movement, the AL joint general secretary said: “Now BNP’s situation is like a confined lion. It is like too much talks end in nothing. They have nothing to do anything else.”

If BNP tries to destroy the country’s peace and order, the government will deal them with an iron hand and the AL along with people will resist them.

Asked about visit of delegations of the European Union (EU) and the US, the minister said the EU delegation came at the invitation of the election commission, not others.

As they came at the EC’s invitation, they held talks with the commission, ruling party and opposition party and others and their visit was very much positive one, he added.

They (the EC) invited them for holding a free, fair and proper election and the EU sent its delegation at the invitation and so, it is positive one, he remarked.

About the US under-secretary and high-level officials, Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh has very good multidimensional relations with the US. “They are our development partner. Few days ago, we celebrated the 50 years of our diplomatic relations. In light of that their visit was to further strengthen the ties,” he insisted.

The minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave shelter to over 1.2 million Rohingya people.

The US delegation visited the Rohingya camps, he said, adding before leaving Bangladesh, they said the relations between the two nations will go ahead.

“Their visit also strengthened our ties,” he stated.

Kurigram district unit AL president Md Zafar Ali chaired the meeting at Zila Parishad Hall while general secretary Aman Uddin Ahmed Manju moderated it.

State minister for primary and mass education Zakir Hossain, AL joint general secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, central members advocate Safura Begum Rumi and advocate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia addressed the meeting, among others.