Home ›› 12 Jun 2022 ›› Governance
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday raised the question why some people of the country cannot accept any development and achievement of Bangladesh.
"Why do a group of people feel pain in their heart seeing the development of Bangladesh? Why can't they accept any attainment as achievement of Bangladesh? Why do they suffer in this mental misery? Where is their problem?" she said.
She posed the questions while leaders of Awami League and its associated bodies greeted her at Ganabhaban, marking the 14th anniversary of her release from prison.
On this day in 2008, Sheikh Hasina was released from the special sub-jail set up on the premises of the Jatiya Sangsad bhaban after staying captive there for nearly 11 months.
The prime minister said when many developed countries saw negative growth Bangladesh could attain over five per cent GDP growth during the pandemic as the Awami League is in power.
"We've given a budget for fiscal year 2022-23. When many developed countries are having negative GDP growth, Bangladesh maintained a growth of over five per cent," she said.
The Awami League president was arrested from her Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi on July 16, 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government, which assumed power through the political changeover of 1/11 in 2007.
The prime minister said Awami League has to step forward defying all odds and hurdles, as a vested interested group is always there to pull back Awami League and Sheikh Hasina so that they can't assume power.
Referring to the scenarios before the 2001 national election, Sheikh Hasina said Awami League does politics with an ideology, which has to be kept in the mind of every leader and activist, and that is why it can't hand over the country to anyone for the sake of any greed.
"We can't hand over the country to anyone for the sake of any self-indulgence as the leaders and activists of Awami League have sacrificed their lives and spent years after years in jail only for Bangladesh's betterment," she added.
The Awami League chief said whenever she was arrested she sent letters to the people, and leaders and activists of Awami League giving them directives.
She recalled that in 1983 she was arrested after her return to the country and at that time she was taken to the DGFI office.
"I never bowed down to anyone and never begged from anyone. I got the lesson from my father and family not to bow to anything," she said, adding: "I've protested repeatedly in all adverse situations, even in the face of death."
Sheikh Hasina said leaders and activists of Awami League always choose the right path. "I saw it during the time of my father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and I myself also witnessed it (during the regime of the caretaker government after 2007)."
She recalled that the caretaker government was compelled to free her due to the movement and pressure from her party.
They became surprised when they saw that Awami League collected 25 lakh signatures in just 15 days, she said.
"It was only possible because of Awami League, and none can do it," she said, adding, "This is Awami League and people are our strength."
In this connection, Sheikh Hasina mentioned that people are not the strength in case of the BNP as their birth happened through the power of a military dictator and its beneficiaries of power.
The prime minister said BNP is not the party of mass people and that is why there cannot be any comparison between Awami League and BNP.
Regarding the propaganda by a section of people who are terming the 2018 election as a voter-less poll, she said it does not sound good in mouths of those who are involved with vote rigging and assumed power through vote rigging.
As the BNP is talking about democracy, she questioned whether BNP was born through the practice of democratic system.
