Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram has said he sees little possibility of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina returning to Bangladesh in the next 10 years, based on his political experience.
“My political experience says there is no possibility of Sheikh Hasina returning even in the next 10 years,” he told journalists at the district circuit house in Bhola on Thursday.
The Speaker said the Awami League, during its tenure in power, created an environment in which honest, capable and neutral people could not participate in elections. He said a radical reform of the electoral system was therefore necessary.
He argued that people who are not wealthy but enjoy popularity and acceptance in society should have the opportunity to contest elections. To ensure this, the Election Commission must introduce a system that enables ordinary citizens to run for office, he said.
Referring to the upcoming local government elections, Hafiz Uddin stressed that the polls must be free, fair and impartial.
“Elections were not held fairly over the last 17 years,” he said, expressing confidence that the forthcoming local government elections would be conducted in a free, fair and impartial manner.
Highlighting Bhola’s energy potential, the Speaker said the district had substantial natural gas reserves, which he suggested could be comparable to the country’s current reserves. He expressed hope that further gas deposits would be discovered in the area.
“The people of Bhola have been suffering for a long time. Gas is the rightful right of the people of Bhola,” he said.
The Speaker later left Bhola for Dhaka after completing a three-day visit to his constituency, Lalmohan-Tazumuddin.