Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
A day after a bloody election that the main opposition party boycotted, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina strongly dismissed any possibility of imposing emergency in the country and said she had the confidence to handle any crisis that came up.
Ms Hasina slammed the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP which she accused of joining hands with what she called a terrorist group, the Jamaat-e-Islami. She said BNP must disassociate itself from Jamaat and join mainstream politics.
Sheikh Hasina also denied that BNP leader Begum Khaleda Zia was under house arrest. "From her party our law enforcing agencies received a letter to increase her security. So they gave security. Then they started complaining, so they removed it," she said.
Ms Hasina said there was no question about the legitimacy of the elections despite the low turnout and the opposition staying away.
Given the violence and shutdowns that have Bangladesh in their grip, you cannot be faulted if you think the country is in crisis. But here is what Sheikh Hasina had to say when asked about it. "What do you want? That I should start crying? I have the confidence that we can face any crisis," she said.
Bravado, some might say. But Sheikh Hasina has pulled off a most difficult election with 20 people killed on polling day alone. "Our opposition joined hands with the terrorist group. They do not believe in elections," she said, adding, "A court has ruled that Jamaat cannot contest elections. The Jamaat is a terrorist group. The BNP has a coalition with Jamaat."
What the opposition does next is something Sheikh Hasina will closely watch. Monday's strike called by the BNP had marginal impact in Dhaka.
Sheikh Hasina's new government will certainly do its best to ensure the BNP's wings are clipped. How far she succeeds may decide whether she gets a full five-year term or is forced to call a mid-term poll halfway.