2024 election was the fairest since 1975: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (7 February) said this year's 7 January polls were the freest, fairest and most credible in Bangladesh after 1975.

"I think the election that was held in Bangladesh on 7 January this year was the freest, fairest and most neutral since 1975," she told a view exchange meeting with Gopalganj district Awami League leaders and activists at her official Ganabhaban residence.

Sheikh Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat wanted to foil the 7 January polls by doing various misdeeds. But the most important thing of the election is that the people spontaneously went to the polling stations and cast their vote, she said.

Earlier in the day, while virtually inaugurating the final round of the 52nd Winter National Sports Competition- 2024 from her official Ganobhaban residence, she also asked the country's education authorities and others concerned to stage sport events and competitions at grassroots to explore talents and infuse sportsmanship into youths. 

"Arrange all types of inter-school, inter-college, inter-university, inter-district and inter-upazila sports competitions to create scopes for the local talents to come up," she said opening virtually the final round of the 52nd Winter National Sports Competition- 2024 from her official Ganobhaban residence.

Sheikh Hasina said her government constructing mini stadiums at every upazila to facilitate sports nationwide to engage children in sport activities round the year to flourish their talents.

Rajshahi Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board oversees the competition at Rajshahi town for school, madrasah and technical educational institution students.

"Our children will be more progressive minded and will have good health if they get them involved in physical exercises and cultural practices alongside sports," the prime minister said.

She stressed the need for enhancing efficiency of the local children in sports that included football, cricket, volleyball, basketball, baseball, weight-lifting, tennis, and long tennis.

She also asked all concerned to put emphasis on reintroducing the local sports such as hadudu and dangguli alongside others, saying, "We should reintroduce our local sports as they never lost".

The prime minister said Bangladeshi children are highly skilled in sports and they are now showing their talents on global stage.

"Our children are very good and meritorious. If we can create more scope for them, they will show their talents at local and global level," she added.

The head of the government opined that if they can arrange proper training for the Bangladeshi children, they will definitely show their efficiency in sports.

Bearing it in mind, she said her government has been attaching priority to proper training.

She said they are building Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) at each eight divisions to facilitate training.

"We have built BKSP in several divisions to provide proper training while the rest will be constructed gradually," she said.

The premier said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken measures to develop the country's sports and introduced winter sports competition soon after the independence.

She said she has a sports-loving family, as her family members were involved in sports

She also said her father and grandfather were footballers, while her three brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel and wives of Kamal and Jamal were involved in sports and their grandchildren are also involved in sports.

The prime minister said her government had already made Bangladesh digital as per their electoral pledge of 2008.

She said they are now pursuing to build Smart Bangladesh by 2041 in accordance with the election manifesto of 2024.

Describing the children and youths as the soldier of building Smart Bangladesh, the premier said they will take the country forward in every sector including sports in the days to come.

The premier also congratulated the Bangladesh U-19 women football team on its victory against Bhutan with 4-0 goal in their final league stage match of the ongoing SAFF Under-19 Women's Championship, saying, "The Bangladesh women will go forward this way".

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury and Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Abul Hasnat Muhammad Khairuzzaman Liton, also spoke on the occasion at Rajshahi end.