Govt schemes to rig Gazipur by-polls: Hasina
Staff Correspondent
Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday accused the government of plotting to rig Gazipur-2 by-polls in connivance with polling officials biased towards the key ruling party BNP. "The prime minister has already directed the Election Commission secretary to act to ensure the victory of the BNP candidate," Hasina said at Zia International Airport on return from India after a four-day visit. She accused Khaleda Zia of applying the same means with which Mosaddak Ali Falu became lawmaker for Dhaka-10 constituency. Hasina, the president of the AL, was also critical about Khaleda's visit to Bangkok to attend the first BIMST-EC summit at a time when 'she should stand by the flood victims'. She, however, justified her India tour, saying: "As the head of the government, the prime minister has greater responsibility than the leader of the opposition during such a disaster." "She has left the country leaving behind people reeling from ongoing flooding." "When I was the prime minister during the 1998 floods, I cancelled a visit to South Africa to attend the NAM (Non-Alliance Movement) summit." Asked whether the AL would join any national committee for proper distribution of relief, Hasina said, "We don't want to be a party to relief theft." Showing a picture carried by The Daily Star yesterday, she said, "Even government-supported newspapers have been showing the proof of relief theft by the ruling party men." During her visit, Hasina met Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders. "There were widespread allegations from the Indian leaders that some people were running anti-India insurgency using the Bangladesh territory. I told the Indian prime minister that there were no such activities under the previous Awami League government and the present prime minister of Bangladesh is the right person to say what is happening now." She said during meetings, the Indian leaders expressed deep concern over huge arms and ammunition seizures in Bogra and Chittagong. "It was embarrassing for me when all of them including journalists asked me about the arms hauls," she added. Frontline leaders of the AL went to the airport to receive Hasina.
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