Don't let them make it a 'country of Rajakars'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged all to thwart the conspiracies of anti-liberation forces, emphasising the importance of unity in sustaining the nation's progress towards prosperity.

"We have been taking Bangladesh ahead towards prosperity. The advancement must go on. Stay alert so that no one can push the country back and make it the country of Rajakars," she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing a reception accorded by the Bangladeshi diaspora in Germany at Hotel Burgerhaus Garching at Munich yesterday (Friday).

She also asked all to stay alert against conspiracies against the people of Bangladesh.

She reiterated her commitment to build Bangladesh as a secular state, where people of every faith will enjoy equal rights.

"We will materialise the dream of the father of the nation to transform Bangladesh into a prosperous, developed and smart Sonar Bangladesh in the spirit of the Liberation War and secularism," she said.

The prime minister said her goal is to serve every citizen of the country.

"Before my personal needs, I always think of what I can do for the betterment of the country and its people," she said.

Hasina said people of the country have got everything including Bangla as mother tongue through Language Movement and independence through Liberation War under the leadership of the father of the nation.

"Awami League is the biggest strength of mine. We have been able to tackle various disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic as we have the party," she said.

The ruling party chief said the people have faith and confidence in Awami League as they always find the party beside them when they need.

Giving a brief description of the overall development of the country, she said they have made huge socio-economic development of Bangladesh.

"Not only mega projects, we focus on the development at the grassroots," she said.

Terming the BNP as the party of looters, she said the party did nothing for the well-being of the people.

She came down heavily on the BNP as it did not take part in the 12th parliamentary election.

The PM claimed that BNP did not take part in the election as they knew that people would not vote for them and resorted to arson and killing.

"The party which was formed from the pockets of a military dictator always believes in agencies and they can do nothing without their help," she said.

She blamed BNP for destroying the electoral process by holding yes/no vote and presidential election.

"BNP snatch away the voting rights of the people and make the election a farce through manipulations," she said.

But, the Awami League has returned the voting power to the people through a long struggle, she said.

She said the 12th parliamentary election held on January 7 was the most free, fair and credible election since 1975.

She said the people of the country particularly women cast votes independently in the last parliamentary polls.

"If the Awami League was not voted to power this time, the massive development which had taken place in the last 15 years would have been ruined. The looters (BNP) would have looted everything," she said.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to expatriate Bangladeshis to send remittances through proper banking channels.

Mentioning that her government has been establishing 100 economic zones across the country, she asked the expatriate Bangladeshis to invest in the economic zones with foreign partners.

Foreign Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud and local mayor of Munich spoke at the event while Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan moderated the programme.