Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the independent lawmakers to play their respective role in parliament as independent one and run a constructive criticism against the government.
Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, came up with the remarks while addressing a meeting of the independent lawmakers at her official residence Ganabhaban.
Independent MPs have been waiting for the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in carrying out their dos and don’ts after winning the 12th parliamentary elections, defeating the AL-nominated candidates.
As many as 62 independent candidates, mostly leaders of the grassroots, became victorious, resulting in grouping in some areas while incidents of violent clashes were also reported.
In the polls, Jatiya Party (Ershad) got 11 seats, Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Bangladesh Kalyan Party got one seat each.
The premier requested the lawmakers for taking measures to address intra-party feud in their respective areas.
Emerging from the meeting, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader told reporters that the independent MPs would remain as independent.
“The party president has clearly has said that the independent MPs will remain as independent and will be able to run constructive criticism against the government,” he said.
Over the violent clashes in some areas after the polls, Quader said the premier asked the lawmakers for taking measures to address the intra-party feud in their respective areas.
You must take steps to reduce intra-party feud in your areas and
have to work unitedly to implement the election manifesto of the party,” Quader said, quoting the premier as saying.
Over the election to the reserved seats, the independent MPs said that they would extend their support whatever the decision takes by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday invited the independent lawmakers to the Ganabhaban to hold a meeting with them.
Some independent MPs, mostly leaders of the Awami League grassroots, say that they have been involved with the politics of the AL for long and they have contested the polls after the AL’s decision of allowing them to run the polls.
Out of 62 MPs, 59 serve the politics of the ruling party while the rest three are from different parties.
SAK Ekramuzzaman, elected from Brahmanbaria-1 constituency, was axed from the BNP for participating in the polls.
The AL left the Nilphamari-4 constituency for Ahsan Adelur Rahman, nephew of JP chairman GM Quader, to contest the polls with plough symbol.
Being deprived Md Siddiqul Alam, also vice president of the JP, vied the polls as an independent candidate and won the race. But he was expelled from the party for breaching the party discipline.
Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury was elected from Sylhet-5 constituency defeating the AL-backed candidate. Before the polls, he met AL president Sheikh Hasina. Following his meeting, the local AL leaders campaigned for him.