Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday sought votes for her party's electoral symbol 'Boat' in the next general election and give them another chance to serve the people.
"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 AL 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.
She earlier arrived at the 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.
PM opens 27 dev schemes
At the rally, she also inaugurated 27 newly constructed development projects and laid the foundation stones of five other schemes involving over Tk 2000 crore.
The premier reached the venue around 3:25pm in the afternoon.
