Polls to be held as per constitution, not BNP's outline: Hasan

Rejecting BNP's outline over polls-period government, Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the next general election will be held as per the constitution.

"As per the constitution, the incumbent government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will perform as the polls-time government like other democratic countries including India, the UK, the US, Australia, Japan and New Zealand," he said.

The minister said this to reporters while exchanging views with them at his official residence in the city's Muntu Road.

Hasan said there is no scope to violate the constitution and it doesn't  matter what kind of outline they give (BNP) on polls-time government.

Replying to a query over BNP's one-point movement after Eid, the minister said the party has started the one-point movement since 2013. The countrymen had witnessed their (BNP) violations in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the name of movement, he added.

"The government had faced the situation and we have an idea about their (BNP) present strength. Their leader Khaleda Zia is now a 'caged tiger' while their convicted acting chairman is a fugitive. And we know what the party would do under the leadership of its secretary general. We know their strength," said Hasan.

Criticising a comment of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the minister said, "In fact, the BNP secretary general spoke the truth in his subconscious mind as he and his father didn't want Bangladesh. His father was pro-Pakistani. Few days ago, Mirza Fakhrul Islam has claimed 'Pakistan regime was better' which means he didn't want Bangladesh. Besides, he was never a freedom fighter. He was in hiding for a long time after independence."

Relying on another query over BNP leaders' statements on the country's economy, the information minister said the organisations including CPD and some economists have never seen any positive economic condition since the Awami League government came to power. But the reality is that Padma Bridge has been completed with self-finance , he added.

He said the per capita income has increased to $2,800 from $600 and the rate of poverty has decreased to 18% from 41%. Bangladesh became 35th largest economy in the world and the country stood at 31st position in PPP, he added.

Hasan said the country will become the 27th economy soon. But, BNP never sees the progress, he added.

He said the reality is that the country's economy progressed amid global recession. The position of Bangladesh was third among the 20 countries which achieved positive GDP across the globe in the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.

He said the global economy is under pressure in recent times. But Bangladesh's economy is moving ahead and the reserve is now over 31 billion US dollars and the flow of remittances has also increased, said Hasan.