Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina last night asked her party men not to bring out any victory processions until the polls results are announced officially.
“She also urged them to exercise utmost restraint,” AL chief’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters.
Earlier, after casting her vote at Dhaka City College centre at 8:30am, she said she was optimistic about her alliance getting the mandate to run the country.
Talking to reporters, the former prime minister called on all political parties to accept the election outcomes whatever they may be.
Meantime, as the grand alliance was heading for a landslide in unofficial counts, AL thanked the people, especially the first-time and youth voters, for registering verdict in their favour.
AL Information and Research Secretary Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin made the observations at a press conference at around 12:45am today.
He said their party president will come up with a formal reaction this morning.
AL believes Sheikh Hasina’s call for change has resonated with people from across the spectrum, and brought the grand combine on the threshold of a momentous victory.
“People wanted a change; they wanted an end to misrule, repression, corruption, and price hike of essentials. And so they have voted overwhelmingly in favour of our charter for change and vision 2021,”
Lenin said the AL president is unwavering in her commitment to materialising the vision she has rolled out to build a prosperous Bangladesh.
Earlier in the day, Hasina visited different polling centres in the city constituencies amid tight security.
She went to Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi Road-32. There, she recited from the holy Quran and offered special prayers for salvation of the departed souls of her family members, who were brutally killed there by a disgruntled group of army personnel on August 15, 1975.
On national occasions, Hasina usually spends a few hours there offering special prayers for her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, mother and other family members, killed on that day.
While talking to reporters, the AL-chief referred to press reports on BNP-led four-party alliances’ attempts to buy votes in different constituencies and said vote rigging is taking place in several places including in her constituency Rangpur-6.
“If these happen, how can I believe that the elections will be free and fair,” said Hasina. “What the Election Commission and the government have done in this regard? They will have to explain.”
“We want people to cast vote freely, and the election to be free and fair whatever the result is.”
Hasina said there are some flaws in conducting the election and that these will be addressed in future.
The former prime minister visited 13 polling centres in the capital’s Hazaribagh, Rayerbazar, Mirpur, Kafrul, Uttara, Badda, Rampura, Malibagh, Magbhazar, Shyampur and Lalbagh areas.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh News, Bangladesh Politics, Daily Bangladesh News, News, Politics
