Tungipara (Gopalganj), Dec 12 – Terming the forthcoming general election crucial, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday sought another chance to take the country forward keeping its head high in the world arena and continue its ongoing development pace.
“The country is moving forward with the Liberation War spirit. We want another chance so that the progress of Bangladesh doesn’t falter and that our people stand in the international arena keeping their head high,” she said while addressing a public rally at Sheikh Lutfar Rahman Government Degree College ground at Kotalipara.
“Hope, you’ll give us another chance to serve the country through ensuring our victory by casting votes for Boat,” the Prime Minister further said, promising that the people of the country will never be deprived of if they give their mandate in favour of Awami League in the election.
With this, Sheikh Hasina formally launched her party’s election campaign.
“You’ll have to cast vote for Boat to give a fitting reply to those who joined hands with the anti-liberation forces, war criminals, convicts, arson terrorists, and made them election candidates,” she said.
Mentioning that Bangladesh will celebrate the golden jubilee of independence in 2021, Hasina said, “We don’t want to see war criminals, anti-liberation forces, murderers and arson terrorists in power that time. They’ll destroy the country and the Liberation War spirit.”
“We’ll build hunger-free, poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation imbued with the Liberation War spirit. I’m urging you to cast vote for the candidates who were nominated by Awami League,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina also said the government will celebrate Bangabandhu’s birth centenary in 2020 and it has already declared 2020-2021 as the ‘Mujib Barsha’.
She said the people of the country got independence and rights to their mother tongue by casting votes for ‘Boat’ in the past.
The Prime Minister urged them to stay alert against conspirators so that they cannot play ducks and drakes with their fate.
Highlighting various success stories of the Awami League government in different sectors like education, health, food production and power in the last 10 years, she said it is implementing projects one after another. “As a result, huge employment opportunities have been created in the country which in turn helped to reduce the poverty rate.”
The Prime Minister said the government has attached the highest importance to education to create an educated nation, while over 93 percent people have already come under the electricity coverage.
She reiterated that the aim of her government is to take electricity to every house of the country.
Hasina said she there is nothing for her personal gain. “What I’m doing is to materialise the dream of the Father of the Nation through establishing a Bangladesh free from poverty and hunger.”
She said a long-term perspective plan has been formulated to establish Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country by 2041.
Kotalipara Upazila Awami League president Subash Joy Dhar presided over the programme.
Sheikh Hasina’s younger sister Sheikh Hasina, Awami League leaders Sheikh Abdullah, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, BM Mozammel, Bahauddin Nasim, Advocate Afzal Hossain, Sujit Nandi, SM Kamal Hossain and film stars Reaz and Ferdous were present.
Hasina arrived here at 2:10 pm starting her journey by road around 8:22 am from her official residence Ganobhaban in the capital.
She first paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his mausoleum by placing a wreath as the Prime Minister.
She placed another wreath at the mausoleum as the Awami League president.
On her way back to Dhaka on Thursday, Sheikh Hasina will address rallies at Bhanga circle in Faridpur, Faridpur circle, Rajbari road circle, Manikganj bus stand, Rabeya Medical College and Hospital premises in Dhamrai and Savar bus stand. – UNB
