'Nothing to do if BNP skips polls'

Desk Report: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, "We have nothing to do if BNP skips the upcoming national election. The next national election will be held as per the constitution, no matter who are joining it and who are boycotting it."

The Prime Minister came up with the remark while addressing a press conference at her official residence Gonobhaban on Monday afternoon.

The press conference was arranged to brief the media about the outcome of her recent official visit to Italy and Vatican City.

The premier slammed BNP for dropping section seven from its charter and making Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the party.

Have you (journalists) seen the BNP charter? In this charter, there is a section that allows senior vice chairman of the party to be the acting chairman in case of absence of the party chairperson. As the party's acting chairman, it picked such a person who is himself a convicted fugitive, she said.

"Has the BNP plunged into a severe setback? Don't they have any leader (except Tarique), who could be the acting chairman of the party," the prime minister said.

"When I was sent to jail, I made Zillur Rahman as the acting chairman of the party. Neither my sister nor my son I made as the acting chairman of the party. I would not like to say anything. They blame us when we say something," Hasina said.

About Khaleda Zia's imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, the premier said the court has given its verdict and the government has nothing to do in this regard.

The prime minister went to Italy on Sunday last on a four-day official visit to join the meeting of Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as one of its keynote speakers at the invitation of IFAD President Gilbert F Houngbo.

At the invitation of Pope Francis, Hasina also visited the Holy See (Vatican City) and held meetings with the Pope and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Hasina returned home on Saturday evening after making a stopover in the UAE, capital of Abu Dhabi.


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 19, 2018/Saif/AI