Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ruled out a return to the repealed caretaker government system as the constitution was amended in line with a higher court verdict.
“People have the sole right to vote. Whoever is elected by the people will form the government. There is no way to go back to it (caretaker government system),” she said in an interview with the Bangla service of Voice of America (VoA) aired on Saturday.
The prime minister, now on a visit to the US, responded to a number of questions on US Visa sanction, human rights, Khaleda’s treatment abroad, caretaker government, the constitution and other issues.
When asked about the possibility of taking initiative for amending the constitution and forming a caretaker government or discussion with the opposition alliance, she said, “Election is people’s right. When an emergency was declared in 2007, the High Court delivered a verdict that an unelected government would never come to power. Power will be handed over to an elected government…. according to the verdict of the High Court. The constitution was amended after the verdict.”
“Now, how can we annul the verdict of the High Court? Or amend the constitution? And why will we do that? We had a lot of bitter experiences. In the history of our country, we’ve seen martial law, military dictatorship, and farcical election under them, or under caretaker government.”
