Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina reiterated her appeal to the countrymen to vote for her party’s election symbol “Boat” to continue the current government’s endeavors to ensure the country’s overall development.
“The next national election will be held in December next or January, 2024. I urge you to again vote for the “Boat” and bring Awami League to power and thus give another scope to serve you,” she said while addressing as the chief guest a grand rally held at the Helipad Ground.
The Prime Minister asked all to raise their hand in favour of “Boat” and thus for the development as the AL government has made a massive change by making Bangladesh a model of development on the world stage in the last 14 years.
In reply, the people who thronged in thousands at the venue to see and hear Sheikh Hasina, waved their hands in support of the “Boat”.
“Bangladesh has turned around in the last 14 years and has achieved dignity by transforming into a developing nation. Bangladesh has appeared as the role model for the development. Bangladesh is advancing and will march ahead,” she said.
The Prime Minister said whenever had the BNP-Jamaat clique assumed power, they brought untold sufferings for the countrymen and on the contrary, whenever Awami League was voted to power, the fate of the people changed.
Mentioning that BNP was formed illegally by a military dictator who grabbed power violating the county’s constitution, she said, “They (BNP) can give nothing to the people rather can torture and loot them.”
AL Central Committee General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, MP, Organising Secretary Mirza Azam, MP, and Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Kishoreganj-4 constituency lawmaker Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq, Kishoreganj district AL Acting President Advocate Zillur Rahman and General Secretary MA Afzal, among others, spoke at the rally, organised by the Mithamoin Upazila AL.
Mithamoin Upazila AL President and General Secretary Principal Abdul Haque and Babu Samir Kumar Baishnob presided over and moderated respectively the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina thanked the Kishoreganj people for voting for Awami League in the last election and said Kishoreganj which was always neglected has now become a developed district.
“If the Awami League is voted to power in the next election, the measures taken by the government to ensure overall development of the haor region will be continued,” she added.
The Prime Minister said she inaugurated today a cantonment at Mithamoin after the name of President Abdul Hamid.
She said three persons from Kishoreganj – Syed Nazrul Islam, Zillur Rahman and Abdu Hamid – were elected as the president and led the country as the heads of the state.
Briefly describing the huge development carried out by her government across Kishoreganj, she said the inhabitants of Kishoreganj had no other way except boat during rainy season and their legs during winter to reach any destination, but the things have changed now, people can move round the year from one place to another place.
Besides, navigability of the rivers and canals of the haor areas has been ensured through dredging so that the water does no damage the crops in the areas, adding that her government is now taking measures to protect crops.
The Prime Minister said that she found people had no food, they had torn clothes, skinny bodies, there was no way for communication and the people were living an unendurable life when she returned to the country in 1981.
The AL came to power after 21 years and made Bangladesh self reliant in food production, she added.
The BNP-Jamaat clique came to power again and resumed the culture of impunity, looting, terrorism, militancy, killing, corruption and laundering money abroad, she said.
The premier said they never came to power through people’s mandate and they never bother for the welfare of the country and its people.
“They are now living a lavish life abroad with the public money misappropriated and laundered by them. They never do any welfare for the countrymen,” she added.
On the contrary, whenever the AL assumes office, the country is developed and the fate of the countrymen is changed, she said, adding: “It is now accepted by all that whenever the Awami League is in power, the country marches toward development and prosperity.”
Referring to deaths of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists Selim and Delwar in a movement against an autocrat government in 1984, she said the country’s democracy has been restored through many struggles.
“We have been able to bring back democracy through many struggles. The development of the country is going on as the democratic process continues,” she said.
The Prime Minister said her government has been working for the overall development of the country, vowing to build Bangladesh as developed and prosperous to give the countrymen a decent life as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
