Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, Oct-04,

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said BNP is out to make the election controversial as it knows they can't win elections due to its lack of leadership.

"As there is no possibility of victory for them, BNP wants to make the elections controversial and create confusion among the people by any means," she said.

The Prime Minister said BNP has been raising questions over elections as it knows they can't win the elections.

Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League, said series of attempts were made in the past to make election questionable.

BNP did everything possible including carrying out arson terrorism as people did not go to the polling centres or the election was not held accordingly, she said, adding that despite the fact the election was held smoothly.

She said this in replying to a question in a press conference about the outcome of Bangladesh's participation in the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US.

The press conference was convened to brief the media about the outcome of her participation in the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at her official Ganabhaban residence here.

Senior journalists and editors of the print and electronic media joined the press conference from the Ganabhaban and PMO ends.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud were present on the dais at Ganabhaban while PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim moderated the press conference.

The Prime Minister said the BNP leadership's crime and corruption are responsible for their failure to win recent elections.

"How can a party win if its leadership remains in such a state? One of them is convicted for stealing money from orphans, while the other is also convicted for different activities including the August 21 grenade attack,  country’s fast ever largest 10 truck arms haul and arson terrorism cases has fled the country," she said.

The premier said but they have been kept in the party leadership. "Then why would the people vote in favour of the party? One is embezzler of money of orphans and the other is a convict. . . they can't even take part in the elections," she said.

Replying to a question on constituting new Election Commission (EC), the prime minister said the President would form a search committee and the EC would be constituted through the committee.

Asked another question about defamatory remarks by an elected public representative of Gazipur about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said a show-cause notice has been served to the public representative and "after receiving his reply, our party will decide the next course of action."

Asked whether Bangladesh would lay special emphasis on smart farming or bring research outcomes of the advanced world on it, the premier said Bangladesh is also working on the issue.

“When AL government came to power in 1996, it was seen that there was no separate allocation for research,” she mentioned.

"Then we gave allocation for research. Without research, we can't invent or develop anything. If I talk about food security, we must conduct research," she said.

After assuming office in 1996, initially her government worked on developing flood-resilient paddy and gradually the government increased the areas of research, she said.

Rohingya issue

The Prime Minister said it seems that some people and organizations are getting benefits if Rohingyas stay in Bangladesh.

"There are some issues. It seems that some people are getting benefits if Rohingyas stay in Bangladesh. . . . so, they (international community) do not put importance on repatriation of Rohingyas as much as they did for their (Rohingyas) stay," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said at first, when Rohingyas came, Bangladesh managed everything including shelter, accommodation, food and healthcare facilities for first several months and then different international organizations came here one after another.

"As Rohingya people are staying here, we get many proposals. When any international organization comes to me, I straightly tell them that you go to Myanmar. Build houses, schools, hospitals and manage shelter for them. You don't need to do that here (Bangladesh). I have done what is needed here" she said.

She said some international organizations are cordial and they respond properly but there are some others which are continuing to listen to the problems only and problem is here.

She said the Rohingya leader who was killed recently came here in 1992 and he was staying in Bangladesh since then. Rohingyas in a large number came in 1991 and some were taken back through discussions but around three lakh stayed here and they never went to Myanmar, she added.

And this time around seven to eight lakh Rohingyas took shelter to Bangladesh which reached the total number of Rohingyas to 11 lakh in Bangladesh, she mentioned.

Besides, a huge number of Pakistani refugees have been staying here since 1948 and they were never taken back, she said adding that many have also forgotten that Bangladesh is also hosting a huge number of Pakistani refugees as Pakistan didn't take them back and they won't do that.

So, Pakistani refugees are staying here from generation to generations, she said.

She said she repeatedly told the international community about the repatriation of Rohingyas.

"But I am sorry to say they have not taken concrete steps to advance repatriation efforts. If there weren't any refugees, they wouldn't have jobs. Nobody wants to say it out loudly, but I will," she asserted.

The prime minister said she was disappointed with the international response to Bangladesh's repeated pleas for help in returning the Myanmar nationals to their own country.

Sheikh Hasina said the prolonged presence of Rohingya in Cox's Bazar is also alarming for the local environment and forests, she said.

She said different crimes like women and child trafficking and drug smuggling are on the surged in Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

"It's difficult to stop the crimes," she said.

End/Dct/Naj/Sma/