Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the Election Commission is "completely free and independent" and a system has been established through independent EC to hold free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
She said this in an interview with the Bangla service of Voice of America (VoA) that aired on Tuesday.
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The PM, now on a visit to the US, responded to a number of questions on democracy, human rights, Rohingya crisis, Digital Security Act and other issues.
She said Bangladesh has made huge strides during her party's three consecutive terms in government. The poverty rate has been cut and people are getting food, education and healthcare.
"We're fulfilling all their basic needs."
Responding to a question, the premier described how political parties like the BNP and Jatiya Party were born under the leadership of military dictators and how they seized power illegally.
She said the parties that are born under military strongmen's leadership are not used to developing relations with the ordinary people by going close to them; rather they are used to snatching votes and clinging on to power by force. "They might not like the democratic trends."
Former UN high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet, during her visit to Bangladesh in April, encouraged the government to create an "independent, specialised mechanism" that works closely with victims, families and civil society to investigate allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Asked about it, Hasina said there is the National Human Rights Commission that always takes necessary steps. "If there is any allegation, they look into it."
Hasina said whenever any injustice takes place, steps are taken immediately as per the law, and it's something that didn't happen in the past.
"We are not abusing human rights, we are rather protecting them," she said, adding that her government has made the people aware of their rights and has ensured that people can enjoy their rights.
Hasina referred to killings and disappearances of hundreds of army and air force members, Awami League leaders and activists during the tenures of military dictator Ziaur Rahman. She said their families didn't even get the bodies and had not been able to know their faults.
'MEDIA FREE TO CRITICISE GOVT'
Responding to a question on the Digital Security Act and its impact on freedom of the media, Hasina said Bangladesh's growing media during the tenures of her successive governments has enjoyed freedom to say whatever it wishes.
"What would be the answer if someone says that he is not allowed to speak after speaking about all the issues? That's my question."
She said Bangladesh had only a few TV and radio stations before she took office in 1996 and those were controlled by the government.
Once she came to power, she made an opening for the private sector to run media outlets freely. She said about 32 private television channels out of 44 approved are now operating.
Hasina said people are talking in talk shows without any restrictions , and they they talk as they will --true or false -- and keep criticising the government.
She said there was no freedom of speech or movement when there was a military dictator in power.
'ROHINGYAS MUST GO BACK'
The premier said Bangladesh is not in a position to shelter any more people from Myanmar.
Stressing the need for the repatriation of Rohingyas, she said they must go back to their own country. "It is not possible for us to take in any more people."
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char. Not a single Rohingya was repatriated over the last five years.
Hasina described how the prolonged stay of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh destroyed forests in Cox's Bazar, causing sufferings to locals and how the Rohingyas got involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking apart from getting involved in internal conflicts inside the camps.
She referred to Bangladesh's repeated calls to the international community for the Rohingyas' safe return.
The PM said Bangladesh is a densely populated country and a prolonged stay of the Rohingyas is becoming a burden.
She described how people from Bangladesh took shelter in India in 1971 amid Pakistan military's brutality.
"We saw people's sufferings [in 1971] with our own eyes," PM Hasina said, referring to her conversation with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana before allowing the Rohingyas in Bangladesh temporarily amid the brutality against them in Myanmar.
Bangladesh has recently sought support and necessary steps from the international community to stop the violence in Myanmar so that it cannot take advantage of the instability in the region and thus avoid repatriation of the Rohingyas.
ASHRAYAN PROJECT
Hasina said she wants to make sure that everyone in Bangladesh gets their own home, land and address as her government continues its efforts for inclusive development.
"My aim is to see that not a single person is homeless, landless and without an address in Bangladesh," she said.
She described how the idea of Ashrayan project came to her by giving an equal ownership right to the husband and wife of a family.
Responding to a question, she said she has almost achieved her aim and 10 lakh families have been given homes. "... around 35 lakh people got shelters."
The premier said the government was not just giving the homeless people homes, they were also being provided with cash support and necessary training to get involved in income generating activities and opportunities to sell their products in the market.
Hasina shared her experience of visiting St Martin's Island after a cyclone in 1997, where she found 70 families without homes.
She said Awami League leaders came forward with their land when she wanted to build homes for them with the support of the Bangladesh Navy. "I designed the houses. That's how it began."
