Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today dismissed opposition's demands for electoral reforms, saying she will not "budge an inch" on constitutional provision and reinstate a caretaker government system.
"I believe in Constitution and the election will be in line with the Constitution... I won't budge an inch," she said rejecting the opposition demand of reinstating the caretaker government system for election oversight.
"What is the reason of inviting trouble to people's lives demonstrating for reinstating the provision?... We want to bring you towards the light, but what you want to see is darkness," she told a press conference at her office here.
The Supreme Court termed caretaker government illegal and the parliament passed 15th amendment to the constitution two years ago abolishing the provision, she said, adding the opposition's demand is tantamount to disregarding the court's judgement.
Her comments came as Bangladesh politics plunged into a deeper impasse in the past three days while main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)'s acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said it was unlikely that the ruling Awami League (AL) and opposition parties would be able to forge consensus on electoral reforms.
Hasina slammed her arch rival in an emotionally choked voice for celebrating a "fake birthday", coinciding with the death anniversary of her father and Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"It is not possible for us to compromise with those who celebrate a 'fake birthday' on the death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," Awami League general secretary and Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said.
BNP leader Alamgir responded to Islam's comments saying, "from the statements of the Prime Minister and other government leaders, it seems that there is no chance of mutual understanding between the AL and BNP over the elections."
Bangladesh observed National Mourning Day on August 15 to mark the 1975 assassination of Rahman, fondly called 'Bangabandhu' or 'Friend of Bengal', and most of his family in a military putsch.
Hasina and her younger sister survived as they were abroad at that time.
AL said Zia's marriage certificate mentioned she was born on September 5, 1945, her first passport states the date of birth as August 19, 1946 while her registration for the matriculation or school final exams states she was born on August 9, 1944.
The birthday controversy began in 1991 when Zia first celebrated it on August 15 after assuming the office of premier and declared the date as her "official birthday" and despite criticism from the AL, BNP went ahead with the birthday celebrations.
