Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said victory of candidates from different political parties in the recent city corporations’ polls clearly manifested a good democratic atmosphere in Bangladesh.
“It has proved that the democracy is well-established in Bangladesh and people from every part of the country have attained the right to the vote that enabled them to elect their favourite contestants,” she said.
The Prime Minister came up with the statement while addressing the oath taking ceremony of newly elected Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporation mayors and councillors at her office in Dhaka on Wednesday, reports BSS.
The Prime Minister administered the oath to Rajshahi City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury.
The councillors took oaths from LGRD Minister Engineer Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader, political leaders of Rajshahi and Sylhet were present on the occasion.
Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation and 40 councillors and mayor of Sylhet City Corporation and 36 councillors were elected in the polls held on July 30, 2018.
In her address, PM said, “We have struggled to establish democracy in the country and also ensured that people can vote independently.”
“Democracy means people’s constitutional right to the vote. We are totally dedicated to protecting that right,” the Prime Minister said.
“Some stray incidents do take place but we always take action against it, so that the people can enjoy their fundamental rights and elect their favourite contestants,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her party came to power in 2009 with a commitment of change.
“Today, you truly feel the change and people are being freed from poverty,” she said highlighting the socioeconomic development plan of her government.
The Prime Minister mentioned that the global community also acknowledged Bangladesh as a role model of development.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 has been prepared envisaging the next hundred years’ development plan.
"Bangladesh is now a developing country and we have to make it sustainable to go ahead," she said.
Disclosing her government’s plan to establish a medical university in Sylhet, the Prime Minister said her government never allocated budget for local bodies on political considerations.
“We have given huge allocation for development of the Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporations in the past and the government never considered the political affiliation of mayors, but welfare of the people," she added.
Sheikh Hasina hoped that the elected representatives would always devote them to public welfare. Elected representatives would not only make them wealthy but work also to make the people wealthy, she said.
The Prime Minister assured the mayors and councillors of giving all possible support from her government.
She said the government would not tolerate any irregularities and corruption as well as instigation to militancy, terrorism and unsocial activities.
“We want to build Bangladesh as a developed country to make it a prosperous and peaceful country in South Asia…. And it’s my ideology and goal,” the Prime Minister added.