Give befitting reply to election foiling attempt through votes: PM

Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the countrymen will give a befitting reply with votes to the local and foreign conspiracies being hatched to bring third party to power to disrupt 7 January election.

"Various conspiracies are being hatched to foil the polls. Many are also involved internationally. They work to bring third party to power in Bangladesh---we will give befitting reply to the conspiracies through the 7 January election," she said.

The AL president said while addressing a grand election rally at Govt Sheikh Mujibur Rahman College ground at Tungipara on Saturday morning.

"What can the third party do? They can't do any development of the country. You had seen what they did in 2007," she said.

"We will take part in 7 January election with our party's electoral symbol Boat. Go early to the polling centres to cast vote (for boat) to show the world that we can hold the election in free, fair and neutral manner," she added.

Sheikh Hasina said she want the 12th parliamentary election to be held peacefully.

The AL chief thanked the Tungipara residents for taking her responsibility as she considered their support as her strength.

"I am looking after 300 seats and you people are taking care of me. I want vote for me as a candidate," she said, asking, "will you vote for me?"

The rally replied yes by shouting and waiving hands.

The prime minister along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana reached the rally venue at 11:15 in the morning and waived the national flag to the rally which turned into a human sea.

Sheikh Hasina said the women and children are being killed in Palestine by bombing on the hospitals.

Tarique Zia has did the same thing (here in Bangladesh) to order attacks on ambulances carrying patients, on duty police personnel and journalists, she said.

Referring to killing a mother and her child in burning by BNP-Jamaat men, the premier said this type of criminal act won't be accepted in Bangladesh.

"If Allah wants and we can come (to power) by winning the next election, it won't be allowed that he (Tarique) will give order to harm and kill the people of our country, staying in London," she said.

If necessary, he would be brought from there (to the country) and given punishment, she added.

The AL chief said they want the peace to continue and the country's development to be strengthened while the BNP-Jamaat clique tried time and again to obstacle it.

"But, they have failed to be successful (in the name of movement). They will also be failed again as they have no public support," she said.

The movement of the BNP-Jamaat is meant to burn people to death, damage public and private properties, and launch arson attack on vehicles, she further said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh has got the status of a developing country due to the government's efforts made in the last 15 years and is now working to transform it into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

"Bangladesh will start its journey as a developing nation by 2026. And only the Awami League can take the country towards prosperity," she said.

Terming BNP as a terrorist party and the Jamaat as an organisation of war criminals, Sheikh Hasina said they have no capability to take the country forward.

She continued: "They have no dutifulness and patriotism."

They did nothing for the development and welfare of the country and its people rather they unleashed militancy, terrorism, corruption and culture of killing people, she added.

The AL president said they have made several attempts on her life that included grenade attack on the AL rally to kill her and her front raking party leaders which killed 22 leaders and workers on August 21, 2004.

"But, I am not afraid and didn’t abstain myself from working hard to ensure better and improved life of the countrymen despite repeated attempts on my life," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said she is committed to changing the fate of the countrymen as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

AL Presidium Member, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, former Red Crescent Chairman, Sheikh Kabir Hossain, actor Mir Sabbir, and actress Tarin Jahan, among others, also addressed the Tungipara rally.

With Tungipara Upazila AL President Sheikh Abul Bashar Khair in the chair, its General Secretary Md Babul Sheikh conducted the rally.

Addressing another grand rally at Sheikh Lutfor Rahman College ground at Kotalipara in Gopalganj, Sheikh Hasina called upon the new voters and the youths to vote for her party's election symbol 'boat' for the continuation of the country's development.

"I call upon the new voters not only in Tungipara and Kotalipara but also across Bangladesh to cast their maiden vote for 'boat' to ensure continuation of the country's development," she said.

She said the power of young generation expedites Bangladesh's development and progress.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the Kotalipara residents for electing her time and again, saying, "I am appearing before you as a candidate. Give me another chance by casting your vote for boat."

The AL president said those who are involved in the attempt to thwart the election will definitely face the music.

Younger daughter of the Father of the Nation and Prime Minister Sheikh Rehana was present on the dais.

The Prime Minister asked all to help capture those who are involved in foiling the election and violence and arson terrorism.

She said they had failed during the War of Liberation and Bangladesh finally achieved the victory.

"We will also achieve the economic progress as well," she said.

Referring to election manifesto of 2008 in which AL pledged to build Digital Bangladesh, she said, "We have already transformed Bangladesh into a digital country."

She said in accordance with the electoral pledges, the AL government has reached electricity to every house.

The Prime Minister reiterated her commitment to make Bangladesh free from poverty and said none will remain landless and home-less in the country.

She said 8.41 lakh homes were given free to the people and 33 districts have become free of homeless and landless people.

"There will remain no single person homeless and landless on the soil of the Father of the Nation," she said.

The Prime Minister asked the countrymen to bring every inch fallow land under cultivation against the backdrop of high inflation and economic meltdown across the globe due to war.

Mentioning that her government had given Covid-19 vaccine free of cost during the pandemic, she said, "It had been possible due to having Awami League in power."

She said her government put an end to the culture of impunity through holding the trial of the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his wife, three sons and two daughters-in-law on August 15 in 1975.

Kotalipara Upazila Awami League President Nogendranath Biswas presided over the rally.

AL advisory council member Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, Sheikh Helal Uddin, MP, Sheikh Tonmoy, MP, Sheikh Jewel's wife Sheikh Shahana Yasmin Champa and AL joint secretary general AFM Bahauddin Nasim, among others, were present on the dais.

The AL President kicked off her party's election campaign from Sylhet-I constituency by visiting the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA) and addressed a rally there.

Awami League sources said that the party chief is scheduled to conclude her election campaign through the rally in Narayanganj on January 4.