Give AL another chance to serve people: PM

RANGPUR: Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday sought vote for her party's electoral symbol 'Boat' in the next general election and give them another chance to serve the people, reports BSS.

"People have got country's independence by casting vote for the boat... the country's development happens only when Awami League remains in power. Fortunes of the people have changed, electricity has reached every house and Bangladesh is marching ahead as the Awami League is in power," she said.

She was addressing the AL's divisional grand rally at Rangpur Zilla School that turned into a human sea as the venue and its surrounding areas were full to the brim with participation of tens of thousands of people from all strata, including leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate bodies.

The mammoth rally was organised by Rangpur District and City Awami League.

Sheikh Hasina said she considered the people of Bangladesh as her near and dear ones after losing her father, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, mother and brothers on August 15, 1975.

"If required, I am ready to sacrifice my life like my father to change the fate of the countrymen," she said.

At the rally, she also inaugurated 27 newly constructed development projects and laid foundation stones of five other schemes involving over Tk 2,000 crore.

The premier reached the venue around 3:25pm.

She earlier arrived at Rangpur cantonment helipad by a helicopter at 01:13pm from where she was escorted to the Rangpur Circuit House where she held a meeting with Rangpur divisional government officials.

AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, AL Central Committee Treasurer HN Ashiqur Rahman, Organising Secretary Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan and Rangpur district AL Convener AKM Sayadat Hossain Bokul, among others, spoke at the rally.

Rangpur City AL Convener Dr Delwar Hossain presided over the meeting. Senior leaders of the Awami League were also present on the dais.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working to change the fate of the masses, including farmers, labourers and hard working people, since assuming office. "We have been able to reduce the poverty and make Bangladesh free from hunger," she said, adding that Bangladesh is now being recognised as a model for development in the world due to her government's massive works to ensure overall socio-economic advancement of the country.

"Bangladesh has changed a lot in every aspect particularly in socio-economic advancement in the last 14 and a half years," she said.

In this connection, the premier said her government has given a budget of Tk 7,61,785 crore for the FY 2023-24 while the BNP government's last budget was of Taka 61,000 crore.

She said her government has given a development budget of Tk 2 lakh crore while it was only Tk 21,000 crore during the BNP tenure.

The Prime Minister said her government has transformed Bangladesh into a digital and developing country and has been working to make it a smart and developed country by 2041.

"Awami League has proved time and again that the fortune of the countrymen changed when they voted the party to power," she said.

On the contrary, she said the BNP makes their fortunes by committing unbridled corruption when it assumes power and carries out arson terrorism and destruction while in opposition.

"They (BNP) did nothing for the welfare of the people," she said.

Briefly describing her government's measures for overall development of Rangpur division, particularly Rangpur district, Sheikh Hasina said her government has made Rangpur a division and built everything possible required to be a divisional city.

She said her government has built Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, an agricultural university in Kurigram, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aerospace and Aviation University in Lalmonithat.

"One day Bangladesh will go to moon and build plane after getting education from the aerospace and aviation university," she said.

The premier said her government has been upgrading the Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur Highway into four-lane and is making the Syedpur Airport as an international one so that India, Bhutan and Nepal can use it for mutual benefit in business and commerce.

She said they have built a 150 MW power plant in Syedpur and has taken measures to build a power plant after importing diesel from Assam in India.

The government has built a 200 MW solar power plant in Lalmonirhat, she said.

She said they have built Rangpur Rural Development Academy, 100-bed children hospital and a police hospital in Rangpur.

The Prime Minister said they will restart the famous Chilmari Port and Rangpur Suger Mill alongside implementing the Teesta Master Plan.

She said her government is set to build economic zone in Rangpur district which will generate huge employments in the region.

The Prime Minister said the works on canal digging and river dredging have been going on in Rangpur division.

"No government did such massive works for overall development of Rangpur," she said.

She said due to her government's initiatives 'Monga' never returned in eight districts of the Rangpur region.

"We have taken measures in such a way for the development of Rangpur so that Monga never returns," she added.

The Prime Minister said that today she inaugurated 27 development schemes and laid foundation stones of five others including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Planetarium to make sure overall development of Rangpur.

"I have been making arrangements for the development of Rangpur region in such a way so that every sector gets boosted in terms of development," she said.

The Rangpur Zilla School ground overflows with thousands of Awami League leaders and activists and the crowd spills over nearby streets during a grand rally of the ruling party in Rangpur on Wednesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the rally. —PMO photo