Leader of the Opposition and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has demanded transparent ballot boxes in every polling booth across the country to ensure free, fair and credible elections. The Awami League chief made the demand while exchanging views with the party's grassroots level leaders of Satkhira district at her Dhanmondi office in the city Friday, reports UNB. She also urged the people to get united to resist the "evil design of the government" to return to power. "If the alliance government returns to power through the use of muscle and black money the people will turn out to be worthless," Hasina said. Criticising the alliance government for "not honouring its pre-election commitment" to the teachers' community, the AL chief said although the government had pledged to nationalise the services of the teachers, it is now dilly-dallying in implementing their demand. "The main characteristic of the BNP-Jamaat alliance is corruption," the Leader of the Opposition said, alleging that the BNP-Jamaat alliance government looted huge public money during its tenure by increasing the prices of essential commodities. "Now the government can reduce the prices of essentials at the fag end of its tenure in its bid to return to power so that they can plunder more public money," the AL chief apprehended. Referring to the Prime Minister's "claim of development in the country" during her rule, Hasina said: "Yes, there has been development, but it was only for Zia's family and the BNP-Jamaat family. There has been no development for the government service holders and the teachers community." The AL president urged the party's grassroots level leaders to strengthen party activities in their respective areas by building public opinion in favour of the AL so that it could be elected to power in the forthcoming general elections. Presidents and general secretaries of nine organisational units of Satkhira district that covers five constituencies exchanged views with the party chief on the prevailing situation in the country, party's position, probable party candidates for the next polls and the ongoing anti-government movement. Among others, Syeda Zohra Tajuddin, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Motia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP, Obaidul Kader, Abdul Mannan and Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton MP were present during the meeting.
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