* Says Bangladesh wants good relations with India
* Proposes to work together for combating terrorism, reducing poverty
31 December 2008
P
rime Minister-elect Sheikh Hasina Wajed said speaking exclusively to this newspaper
over th
e telephone from Dhaka.
"It is a victory of democracy, secularism, peace ... the people of Bangladesh today long for a better life and a prosperous nation," Ms Hasina said th
e morning after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh c
ongratulated her. Leader of Opposition LK Advani and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi spoke to her too.
In what should be music to the ears of Bangladesh watchers here, Ms Hasina signalled her keenness to tap foreign investment. She also declared her intent to form a South Asian joint task force for combating terrorism. "We will initiate it," she said speaking about terrorism and extremism, an issue of singular concern to New Delhi.
She said countries of the region must unite to wipe out this scourge. "We can't stop terrorism alone, so a joint task force should make it easy to tackle," she said, invoking memories of her late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1975. Sheikh Mujib had led the nation to independence after a bloody liberation struggle.
"My family was the worst sufferer [of terrorism and extremism.] The problem has spread to the country and beyond," she said, citing the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. "Terrorists know no borders, so we need to work together," she added for good measure. In the first media interview since her Awami League party's overwhelming win in Monday's polls, Ms Hasina said reining in the prices of essential commodities will be a top priority, along with law and order, for her government.
"Reducing the price hike and increasing people's purchasing power is my first priority. Law and order also needs to be brought under control," she said. Also in her government's crosshairs will be ramping up of power generation and creation of a conducive atmosphere for foreign investment. "Creation of more jobs, reduction of poverty ... the basic needs of the people such as food, shelter, education and healthcare needs to be fulfilled," she elaborated.
Ms Hasina said she expected cooperation from all of Bangladesh's neighbours, including India. "We want good relations (with our neighbours) so that we can work together. The problems such as poverty are similar (for the South Asian countries) and I believe if we work together we can solve those problems."
Recalling the time spent in custody, she said hers was a moral war against fissiparous tendencies that were working against the larger interests of Bangladesh and its people. Ms Hasina was jailed by the outgoing caretaker regime on corruption charges, but was released in order to contest the election. She spent over 11 months in jail and another four months on medical treatment abroad.
She felt the people of Bangladesh had bestowed a "big responsibility" on her and it would be her endeavour to fulfil their expectations. "It is a verdict of the people, for peace," she said about her party's electoral win. "People were suppressed for a long time and this time they got a chance and they showed their courage."
She went on to suggest that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party was welcome to join her government "if they want to", in the interests of building democracy. She has indicated her willingness to give cabinet posts to Opposition members if they accepted the result of the election.
Ms Hasina was expected to call on Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser (head of Government) of the non-party interim caretaker government of Bangladesh, on Wednesday. A gazette notification of the newly elected members of parliament was likely to be issued on Thursday. Ms Hasina can be expected to be sworn in in a week or 10 days.
Earlier, delivering a short victory speech in Dhaka, Ms Hasina said she "will not allow Bangladesh soil to be used as a breeding ground to train terrorists who attack India." She also indicated her desire to do everything she could to restore peace between Pakistan and India. "Definitely I will take any initiative to improve the relationship in whatever capacity I have," she said.
"Bangladesh is a very small country but whatever I can do, I'll try my best to restore peace, friendship and friendly relationships in this region," she added.
Sources privy to New Delhi's engagement with Dhaka hoped Ms Hasina's government would takes steps to deport top ULFA leader Anup Chetia, currently confined in a Dhaka jail. It was during Ms Hasina's previous tenure as Prime Minister between 1996 and 2001 that the outlaws ULFA was forced to shift its headquarters from Bangladesh to Bhutan. There are other separatist groups and individuals carrying out subversive attacks from the soil of Bangladesh. For instance, the outlawed National Democratic Front of Boroland has training camps in Khagrachari area of Bangladesh.
The sources also hoped the economic ties with Dhaka would improve under Ms Hasina's leadership. New Delhi was interested in gas prospects in Bangladesh. Indian private sector led by the Tatas were eyeing investments of up to three billion dollars in power generation, steel and fertiliser sectors.
Sheikh Hasina Wajed
Prime Minister-elect of Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina Wajed (61) is due to take power for her second term as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the first being 1996-2001. Ms Hasina's Awami League party's win in Monday's election -- the first in seven years -- by a landslide margin, taking 231 of a possible 300 seats in Parliament, ended two years of rule by an army-backed regime. Her rival, Begum Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, managed to win only 27 seats. "It is a victory of democracy, secularism and peace," Ms Hasina said when this newspaper caught up with her on the morning after her party registered a landslide victory over an alliance led by arch rival Begum Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Taking time off from her engagements, the Bangladesh Prime Minister-elect spoke exclusively to this newspaper about her government's priorities, the difficult task of building democracy, and also how she overcame personal challenges to steer her party to a historic win. Ms Hasina was particularly forthcoming on the issue of terrorism, an issue of singular concern to India. "We want good relations with India and we want to work together," she said in a telephone conversation with RAMESH RAMACHANDRAN. Excerpts:
Congratulations on your party's win in Monday's general elections. How does it feel to return to power?
Thank you. It is a big responsibility which I hope to fulfil. I seek cooperation from all in performing this huge duty.
How would you describe you party's win?
It is a verdict of the people, it is a verdict for peace. It is an expression of the people's desire. The people were suppressed for a long time and this time they got a chance and they showed courage. It is a victory of democracy, secularism and peace. The people long for a better life, a prosperous country.
What will be your immediate priorities?
My first priority will be to reduce price hike and increase people's purchasing power. That is my priority. Bringing law and control under control will be another priority.
How do you intend to go about fulfilling people's expectations from you and your government?
My government will seek to increase power generation and to create an atmosphere for foreign investment. Creation of jobs and reduction of poverty will also be focus areas. The basic needs of people such as better education needs to be fulfilled. Food, shelter, education, healthcare ... these will be among my priorities.
What are your expectations from India and the world?
We want cooperation from all our neighbours including India. We want good relations with India and we want to work together. We realise that some of the problems we face in Bangladesh are similar to India and the region. Problems such as poverty is similar to countries in the sub-continent. I believe if we can work together we can solve the problems we face.
How do you propose to tackle the issue of terrorism and extremism?
Bangladesh, India and South Asia as a whole can combat terrorism for which I propose a joint task force to counter this menace. We will initiate it ...
So will this task force be at the political level and will it have a SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) focus?
That will have to be worked out.
What is the motivation for such a task force?
We cannot stop terrorism alone, so the joint task force will make it easier to tackle terrorism. The problem of terrorism affects us all. We are the worst sufferer of terrorism, my country and even my family has suffered on account of terrorism. Now we have the November 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and earlier, in Pakistan too. Terrorism does not help people, it knows no borders, so we need to work together.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has congratulated you on your win in the election. He has invited you to visit India at your earliest possible convenience and he also indicated he would ask Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee to visit Bangladesh as soon as possible to personally convey India's good wishes. The Ministry of External Affairs has said in a separate statement that India looks forward to working closely with the newly elected Government in Bangladesh to further strengthen our bonds of friendship and cooperation in the quest for peace and development. What did you discuss in your telephone conversation with Primer Minister Singh? Who are some of the other world leaders you have spoken with since your party's win?
Yes, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called yesterday (December 30). I have spoken with Leader of Opposition LK Advani and UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi too. We generally discussed the common good of our peoples. I discussed the terrorist attacks such as the one witnessed in Mumbai and how we can cooperate .... The Prime Minister of Britain, Mr Gordon Brown, sent a letter.
How soon should we expect you to take the oath of office?
The Chief Adviser has invited me today. The gazette notification of all the members of parliament who were elected is expected tomorrow (January 1). Then the MPs will take oath and then ...
So it could happen as early as this week?
... Yes.
If I were to take you back in time, say by two years, what are some of your memories of the time you spent in custody?
It was a moral war [for me.] I spent about a year ... 11 months ... in custody. They released me only recently. Then I spent about four months abroad for medical treatment. Before that I was travelling abroad to meet my daughter in the United States and later my son. They tried to stop me from returning home but I was in regular contact with my people over telephone.
Earlier in the day, delivering a short victory speech in Dhaka, you said that in the interests of building democracy you would give cabinet posts to opposition members if they accepted the result of the election. You also thought of sending flowers to Begum Khaleda Zia to seek her cooperation. So will it a government of national unity and have you invited the Opposition to join your government?
If they want to ....
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