Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the country’s leftist parties who they want to bring to power by ousting her.

“The leftists have turned by 90 degrees. Well, they want to oust me. But could they determine who would come next? It is my question. Who would come to power and who would work for the country? But it is not clear who they want to bring,” she said.

The premier said this while addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban on the outcome of her recent six-day visit to Thailand.

Replying to a question, she said since it is not clear whom the leftists want to bring in power next, none of them don’t get response from the people.

She said yes, movement is being carried out. Staying in a foreign land as a fugitive, someone is doing movement as well as giving orders online everyday thanks to Digital Bangladesh made by her government, she added.

“Let those who are waging a movement do it. We at least are not hindering it,” she said.

PM Hasina blasts US for police action against students protesting Israeli genocide in Palestine

Criticising the US style to curb ongoing demonstrations against Israeli aggression on Palestine, the PM said Bangladesh may now stop the movement here following the American style.

“I think our police now can follow the American police. We asked them (Bangladesh Police) to show patience,” she said, adding that their member was beaten to death in October 2023.

“So, our police can take measures to curb movement in American style,” she went on.

Citing different incidents of human rights violation in the USA, Hasina said the USA should pay attention to it as the human rights are being breached regularly in their country and the common people are getting killed.

“They should tackle their internal issue first,” she said pointing at the US.

Replying to another question, the prime minister said her government’s goal is to make the ongoing upazila election a meaningful one.

In this context, she said a good number of political parties boycott elections as they have no capacity to run in the polls.

“Why do they boycott elections? The reason is that they actually don’t have capacity to compete in the elections,” said Hasina, also the President of ruling Bangladesh Awami League.

In case of the parliamentary election, a political party needs to inform the people about who would be their leader or the prime minister, if it is elected, she said.

“If you don’t have a proper leader, then you look for excuse for boycotting the election,” she said adding that the boycotting election sounds a big matter to them.

“If you present a convicted and fugitive accused (as the leader) before the people, the people won’t accept it. If anyone does politics, the person needs to take risk,” she said, not mentioning the name of BNP leader Tarique Rahman, now living in London.

Noting that some political parties asked the people not to go to polling stations, she said media should talk against the interference in exercising voting rights.

Not naming any political party, but obviously referring to BNP, she said those who are now crying for democracy and the voting rights of the people have forgotten that once they had stolen the voting rights of the people.

AL ensured a smooth graduation of Bangladesh to a developing country: PM Hasina tells ALCWC

In reply to another question, the PM said the 12th parliamentary election was held on January 7, 2024 in the most free, impartial, fair manners, ensuring the voting rights of people for the first time since 1975.

Responding to a question over the AL-led 14 party alliance, she said still the alliance is surely there. The alliance will remain in future and she would meet the leaders of the 14-party combine soon, she said.

Hasina said Awami League has a plan to celebrate its 75th founding anniversary in a massive scale this year.

PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam conducted the press conference.

The prime minister returned to Bangladesh on April 29 after concluding her visit, which began on April 24 at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin.