Dhaka: Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina on Monday asserted that her re-election in the much-disputed polls was legitimate and appealed to her arch-rival, BNP chief Khaleda Zia, to shun “terrorism” and severe ties with the fundamentalist Jamaat to strike a deal on the next elections.
“I call upon all again, including the honourable leader of the opposition (Zia), for peaceful talks discarding the path of terrorism and violence and severing ties with war criminals and the militant Jamaat,” a beaming Ms Hasina said, offering an olive branch to the opposition leader in her first comments after her victory in Sunday’s polls.
“A solution can be reached on the next elections only through talks. For that everyone will have to have restraints, tolerance and stop political violence of all sorts,” the 66-year-old told reporters at Ganabhaban, her official residence here.
The boycott of the polls by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) should “not mean there will be question of legitimacy”, said Hasina. “People participated in the poll and other parties participated.”
Hasina’s Awami League won 104 of the 147 seats. Having won 127 seats uncontested, the party now has 231 seats, giving it a clear three-fourth majority in the 10th parliament.
The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance boycotted the polls that were marred by violence which claimed nearly 30 lives since Saturday. Opposition cadres set over 200 polling stations on fire yesterday.
Hasina said fresh elections might be arranged if the Awami League and BNP, led by former prime minister Ms Zia, were able to reach a concensus.
Hasina also announced that she intended to solve all problems with India too.
