Dhaka: Mentioning that she has little interest in Khaleda Zia’s proposals for the Election Commission’s reconstitution, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the BNP chief should have apologised to the nation before going for that.

“They didn’t take part in the [last general] election…then they tried to oust the government by burning people to death in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She should’ve apologised to the nation before placing any proposal,” she told a press conference at her official residence Gonobhaban.

The Prime Minister came up with the remarks when her comment was sought about Khaleda Zia’s proposal over the reconstitution of the Election Commission“She (Khaleda) has made her proposal; now she can tell the President about it, and he’ll take the decision…we’ve nothing to say…,” she said adding that according to the rules the President would consider their proposal. 

Sheikh Hasina, however, said there is nothing to be serious about the proposal of Khaleda Zia as her proposals have noting important. “I cannot find the head and toe of her proposals.”

She said the election commission was constituted in 2008 by the then president in line with the BNP’s demand while the current commission was also constituted by the president by picking up its members through a search committee.

“The same procedure is being followed this time. Here the government has nothing to do in the process . . . (however) I don't know whether her (Khaleda) proposal contains any substance at all,” the PM said.

She said Khaleda Zia first had taken the decision to stay away from the election, then waged a violent nationwide campaign to unseat the government and now came up with the proposals. “She didn’t participate in the election… being a party and leader of the party she refrained from the election by taking a wrong decision.” 

The Prime Minister said BNP leaders also should recall their ploy to manipulate polls when they were in power.

Recalling the horrible days when BNP and its allies went for destructive politics in the name of anti-government movement and resist the election and killed hundreds of people hurling petrol bombs, Hasina said, “Let’s count carefully how many people she killed.”

Talking about the incidents after death of Khaleda Zia’s son Koko, the Prime Minister said, “I went there to console her, but I was not allowed to enter her home. Both the doors of her home were shut. What an audacity!”

Hasina said she has no interest in the proposals placed by such people. 

The Prime Minister also mentioned that BNP is still in dilemma whether it will participate in the election. “Today, they’ll participate in one election and boycott another tomorrow….they have no consistency in their decisions.”