The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, London

Former premier and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now abroad on interim release for treatment, renewed her demand for holding general election first ahead of Upazila elections as per Constitution.

Addressing a UK Juba League meeting at the Impression hall in East London on Monday evening, she said it is the constitutional responsibility of the caretaker government to hold the general election. "Upazila elections are to be held after the national polls."

Hasina remarked that it is a good sign that the caretaker government started realizing that there is no alternative to elections and transfer of power to an elected government.

The Awami League president appreciated the ongoing anti-graft drive against corrupt politicians, saying that corrupt politicians would learn a lesson from their follies. However, she said some good and honest politicians have become victim of the anti-corruption campaign.

Citing her own case, Hasina said she was kept in solitary confinement and, one after another, "false" cases were filed against her. But, she told her audience, the allegations could not be proved.

She said during her eleven-month confinement, she got time to think how to run the country in a better way.

On rising food prices, the former Prime Minister said not to speak of low-income group, even the mid-income people are perturbed at the spiraling prices of essentials. She said during her rule, inflation was pegged to 1.59 percent and now it shot up to 11-12 percent.

Awami League's acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, UK Awami League leaders Syed Farooq and Mustaque Qureshi and Juba League president Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury and general secretary Tarif Ahmed also spoke at the meeting.