Bangladesh Awami League formed the government by winning the general election of 12 June 1996. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has commented that killings, coup’s and military rule were over.
The head of government said these things in her address to the nation on Thursday (January 04) on the occasion of the 12th JS elections on January 7.
She said, "The then military ruler prevented us from coming to the country. I returned to the country in 1981 with the support of Bangladesh Awami League and the people. I returned to the country ignoring all the angry eyes of the illegally ruling government, the murderers and conspirators of the Father of the Nation and the war criminals. Let's start the struggle to establish people's right to vote and rice. That's why I got hit again and again. I protested against the military regime for the democratic rights of the people and was arrested many times. I have been facing attempted assassination at least 19 times. But I didn't give up. Finally, I was able to return the right to vote to the people. After 21 years, Bangladesh Awami League formed the government by winning the general election of 12 June 1996. An end to killings, coup’s and military rule. The disunity, looting and the irregular governance of the post-75 illegitimate governments turned Bangladesh into a hated state. Bangladesh was known to the outside world as a land of floods, storms, tides and beggars-poor-destitute people. At that time, the poverty rate in the country was about 55 percent.
The Prime Minister said, "During the period of 1996-2001, we took several ground breaking initiatives to alleviate poverty. We established peace in the mountains by making the Hill tract Peace Treaty. Various allowances have been introduced for the poor and marginalized groups, special programs for them such as: Asyaran scheme, return home, community clinics have a special role in alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of marginalized people. Adoption of farmer and agro-friendly policies made the country rapidly self-sufficient in food production. Besides we adopt short, medium and long-term policies in various sectors; which has a far-reaching impact on the economy.
Highlighting BNP's misrule, she said, 'From June 23, 1996 to July 15, 2001 - 26 years after completing these 5 years, the Awami League government handed over power peacefully for the first time in the history of Bangladesh. BNP-Jamaat came back to power in 2001 through a conspiracy, just when the country was overcoming financial stagnation and embarking on the highway of socio-economic development. Awami League leaders and workers started being tortured under the patronization of the state. 21 thousand activists were killed. Many ongoing development projects were shelved for political reasons alone. By opening the 'Hawa Bhavan', looting of state resources, corruption, terrorism, militancy and misrule continue freely.
Pointing out that the BNP-Jamaat coalition resorted to various tricks to perpetuate power, Sheikh Hasina said that on August 21, 2004, a grenade attack on the peace rally of the Awami League killed 22 leaders and workers and injured more than 500 people. Bomb attacks in districts, clanging of weapons in educational institutions, jamming of sessions and uncertain life of students were the common patterns during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government. Militancy, terrorism, arms smuggling, money laundering, embezzlement of bank money, the dual rule of Hawa Bhaban made public life miserable. At the end of the term, in 2006, the BNP-Jamaat alliance was supposed to hold elections after handing over the power, resorting to various tricks to keep the power forever. For the purpose of rigging the election, the Electoral Commission was formed with a voter list including 1 crore 23 lakh fake voters. These activities of them lead Bangladesh to the path of darkness.
As a result of which a state of emergency was issued in the country. The military seized power from behind. This government of Yazuddin, Fakhruddin, Mainuddin took away the rights of the people and started running a steamroller on them. They took initiative to break up the established political parties. I and many leaders of my party and other party leaders were imprisoned. He took the initiative to hold elections by trying to form different parties. But aware countrymen stand united against this plot of theirs. In the face of people's agitation, they were forced to hold the 9th parliamentary elections. However, they implemented some of the demands of the electoral reforms that the Awami League-led Grand Alliance presented - such as: preparation of voter lists with photographs, cancellation of 1 crore 23 lakh fake voter lists, and use of transparent ballot boxes. The Awami League-led Grand Alliance won the general election on December 29, 2008. Awami League alone won 233 seats. And BNP alone won only 30 seats. The rest of the seats go to the members of both the alliances.