Prime minister Sheikh Hasina says she is not afraid of losing an election if the people can vote freely.
Democracy, according to Hasina, is the first and only real issue in politics for her.
"If people can apply their voting rights properly and freely, I am willing to accept both victory and defeat in the coming elections," Hasina told senior police officers on Wednesday during a programme to mark the Police Week, held at her office.
Hasina urged the police force to pool all their strength to ensure democracy stays out of harm's way.
She also instructed the police to support the opposition in carrying out their peaceful democratic programmes, but to be strict when they take up "destructive" activities.
"The opposition parties have their democratic rights and they can enforce any peaceful programme. But do not tolerate their destructive activities," she said.
Road march programmes, she said, were "all right", and the police must cooperate with the opposition leaders and activists when they observe such programmes. "But destructive activities, like those of Dec 18, will not be tolerated," she warned.
On Dec 18, the police charged baton on participants of a BNP event to honour freedom fighters at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the capital. Following the incident, several homemade bombs exploded across the city, killing one person and injuring several others.
In other incidents of arson, unidentified men set fire to eight buses in the city, while a bus each was torched in Sylhet and Sirajganj. The Sylhet incident left one passenger dead.
The ruling party and the opposition blamed each other for the incidents.
At Wednesday's police programme, Hasina claimed the government has implemented 93 percent of the Annual Development Plan and discarded allegations that it suffers from "poor" management.
She also thanked the police personnel for playing an "extraordinary" role in fighting terrorism and militancy.
Democracy, according to Hasina, is the first and only real issue in politics for her.
"If people can apply their voting rights properly and freely, I am willing to accept both victory and defeat in the coming elections," Hasina told senior police officers on Wednesday during a programme to mark the Police Week, held at her office.
Hasina urged the police force to pool all their strength to ensure democracy stays out of harm's way.
She also instructed the police to support the opposition in carrying out their peaceful democratic programmes, but to be strict when they take up "destructive" activities.
"The opposition parties have their democratic rights and they can enforce any peaceful programme. But do not tolerate their destructive activities," she said.
Road march programmes, she said, were "all right", and the police must cooperate with the opposition leaders and activists when they observe such programmes. "But destructive activities, like those of Dec 18, will not be tolerated," she warned.
On Dec 18, the police charged baton on participants of a BNP event to honour freedom fighters at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the capital. Following the incident, several homemade bombs exploded across the city, killing one person and injuring several others.
In other incidents of arson, unidentified men set fire to eight buses in the city, while a bus each was torched in Sylhet and Sirajganj. The Sylhet incident left one passenger dead.
The ruling party and the opposition blamed each other for the incidents.
At Wednesday's police programme, Hasina claimed the government has implemented 93 percent of the Annual Development Plan and discarded allegations that it suffers from "poor" management.
She also thanked the police personnel for playing an "extraordinary" role in fighting terrorism and militancy.
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