Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday questioned if opposition BNP wants to come to power by giving guarantee to sell Saint Martin’s island.

 “BNP came to power in 2001 by giving undertaking to sell gas. Now they want to sell the country. Or do they want to come to power by undertaking to sell St. Martin’s island?” she said.

The premier was addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban over the outcomes of her recent visits to Switzerland and Qatar.

 Hasina said she is the daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and doesn’t want to come to power by selling any resource of this country.

“Now if I say that I will lease out St. Martin’s island or our country, there will also be no problem for me to stay in power. I know that,” she said.

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But the PM said she would not allow anyone to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of Bangladesh. “We’ll not allow any act like carrying out terrorist activities in any place or attacking anyone by using the land of my country,” she added.

“We believe in peace. We believe in peaceful cooperation,” said PM Hasina, adding that Bangladesh didn’t engage in quarrels with Myanmar even after some 11 lakh Myanmar refugees took shelter in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh continues negotiation with Myanmar on the issue, she said, adding that her government believes in the policy ‘Friendship to all and Malice towards none.’

“We didn’t go for engaging in fights or quarrels with them (Myanmar),” said the prime minister.

Hasina visited Qatar from May 22 to 25 to attend the Qatar Economic Forum-2023 and visited Switzerland from June 13 to 16 to join the "World of Work Summit: Social Justice for All," a summit of ILO. 

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Replying to a question on election-time government, the prime minister said there is no constitutional scope to hand over power to an unelected government.

She said there is a judgment of the higher court that an elected head of government shall be replaced by another elected head of government. And the constitution was also amended accordingly, she added.

“Everybody knows it. Why are they trying to create a constitutional crisis even after knowing it? What is the motive? It means to destroy the democratic process,” said the premier.

She said the motive to create a constitutional crisis is to destroy the ongoing democratic process and socio-economic progress, which has been continuing for the last 14 years.

Now it is up to the people of the country whether they want the continuation of democratic trend, economic development and the welfare of the people or they want again the situation Bangladesh faced during the last caretaker government, she said.

Noting that the BNP and some other parties have taken to the streets, the PM wondered what their problem is and where the sources of their finance.

She said the upcoming general election will be held on time as per the Constitution and the electoral laws.

In reply to another question, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh will join BRICS in order to reduce dependency on a single bloc in the international stage.

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“We’ll join BRICS as we’ve been engaged since the preparation of its formation. But we could not be a founding member of it. Now we’ve sought to be its member. We want so as we won’t remain dependent on any single one in the international stage,” she said.

She said Bangladesh doesn’t want to remain dependent only on dollars, rather it wants to carry out purchasing goods with other currencies as well.

Responding to a question regarding inflation and illegal hoarding of goods, the PM said the government is trying to contain inflation to ease the sufferings of the people.

She said the government is taking actions against those who are engaged in illegal hoarding of goods, which led to the price-hike of commodities.

Answering a question, PM Hasina said the government has taken a decision to provide free foods to 10 million people ahead of the Eid-ul Azha.

In reply to a question regarding a campaign over repression toward monitories, the PM said a propaganda started in this regard, which may increase further ahead of the next election.

Mentioning that communal harmony prevails in Bangladesh, she asked the people of the country not to pay heed to the false propaganda.