<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said if she did not allow her party members to take part in last month's election as independent candidates the democracy of the country would have been snatched away.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“If the election was not opened for all (AL members) then not only the election would have been stained, the democracy of the country would have been hijacked too,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister was delivering her introductory speech at the extended meeting of Awami League at her official residence Ganabhaban.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This election was important to maintain the country's status as a developing country, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>“We should not forget the election manifesto that we announced before the election to retain this achievement. Every year during the budget formulation we follow the election manifesto,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina, also the chief of ruling Awami League, said that her party has also opened the upcoming upazila elections for all her party members to make it participatory, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>“It will also be scrutinised how much work has been done for the common people in the last 15 years while in power, and who could not deliver. Through it we will see who is accepted by the people,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She issued warning against any sort of confrontation in the upcoming local government elections.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“We do not want any kind of confrontation. Stern actions will be taken against the individuals responsible for it no matter who they are,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>