Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the people of Bangladesh will surely vote in favour of Awami League this time too if they do not want to push the country to the path of destruction like in 2001.

‘You saw BNP, after coming to power in 2001, had pushed the country to the path of destruction…if they (people) don’t want to push the country to the path of destruction again as in 2001, they’ll definitely cast their votes for Awami League and the party will come to power again,’ she said, reports the UNB.

 The Prime Minister said this while briefing the media about the outcomes of her just-concluded visits to Saudi Arabia, the UK and Australia. She visited Saudi Arabia and the UK from April 15 to 23 while Australia from April 26 to 29.

Responding to a question whether the government would take any initiative to bring BNP to the election, she said a democratic system is there in Bangladesh and it will be the absolute decision of a political party whether it will participate in the election or not.

‘I cannot impose my decision on any party…, I cannot say to any party that you’ve to participate in the election,’ she said.

Hasina mentioned that BNP did not participate in the 2014 election and they tried to resist the election through vandalism and killings.

‘About winning the upcoming election, I’ll purely rely on the verdict of people. If they (people) think the development spree of the country should continue, then they’ll cast their votes for the ‘Boat’, and we’ll be there in power again,’ she said.

About BNP’s demand to release Khaleda Zia from jail, the Prime Minister said it was not she who sent Khaleda Zia to jail. ‘The court pronounced its verdict. It won’t work placing demand to me, she [Khaleda] went there as per the course of law. They (BNP) have to fight back as per the course of law to free her from there,’ she said.

The Prime Minister criticised the ‘big’ lawyers of BNP who failed to prove that Khaleda did not embezzle money from an orphanage trust.