Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the newly elected independent MPs to play their due role in Parliament to make its business meaningful.
“Make this parliament meaningful. You can criticise the government. We don’t have any objection. But you have to keep it in mind that you would have to work in the interest and for the welfare of the people,” she told the independently elected lawmakers.
The premier said this while addressing a meeting with independent MPs at her official residence Ganabhaban in the evening.
A total of 62 independent lawmakers out of 300 were elected in the 12th parliamentary election held on January 7, 2024. The 12th parliament is set to go into its maiden session on Tuesday next (January 30).
In this election the ruling Awami League allowed its leaders to contest as independents too even against the party's chosen candidates to make the vote participatory. Fifty-nine of such independents won the election triggering speculations on their status in the House.
In today's meeting Hasina said the independent lawmakers should play a role in different parliamentary activities like passage of bills.
“You will have to play a role in making parliament meaningful and taking democracy forward,” she said.
The prime minister congratulated the independent MPs on winning the election.
She, however, warned all to be careful so that Awami League men would not come under any sort of attack or be victims of violence.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said she would not spare anyone no matter who he is or which party he belongs to.
“This conflict would be suicidal for us…. If there is any internal conflict among you, it will have to be solved. You will have to work together with all,” she said.
Talking about the Annual Development Programme (ADP), Hasina asked the MPs to consider the returns or benefits of a project before taking the scheme.
“Before taking any project, you have to consider what would be the return of the project or how much the people and the country would be benefited,” she said, adding that she won’t tolerate corruption.
The premier said her government has controlled corruption and this is why it has successfully implemented mega projects like Padma Bridge. “I take the projects which would be meaningful for the people,” she said.
Talking about the recent election, she said hadn’t Awami League won the election, the development in the country’s different indexes would have been affected.
Pointing at BNP and some foreign quarters, she said they thought the election won’t be credible. Their target was to question the election and impose sanctions if the election would not be credible. “I opened the election for all to face their evil plots,” she said.
PM Hasina called upon the newly elected MPs to implement the promises they made before the people during the election.
She also asked them to be vigilant on those who are going to start violence again to thwart the outcome of the election.
The AL chief suggested the first-time MPs know the history of Bangladesh and read the constitution, the rules of procedure of Parliament and use the parliament library.