PM wonders why some people cannot accept country's development
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday wondered why some people can't accept any development and achievement of Bangladesh.
"Why do a group of people feel pain in their heart at the development of Bangladesh? Why can't they accept any achievement of Bangladesh? Why do they suffer from this narrow-mindedness? What's the problem with them?" she asked.
She posed those questions while leaders of Awami League and its associated bodies greeted her at the Ganabhaban, marking the 14th anniversary of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's release from prison.
The premier said when many developed countries saw negative growth, Bangladesh attained over five percent GDP growth during the pandemic as the Awami League is in power.
On this day in 2008, Sheikh Hasina was released from the special sub-jail set up on the premises of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) Building after staying captive there for nearly 11 months.
The Awami League president was arrested from her Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi on 16 July, 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 group is always there to pull back Awami League and Sheikh Hasina so that they can't assume power.
Referring to the situation before the 2001 national elections, 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.
The Awami League president 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. 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."
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 for BNP as its birth was through the power of a military dictator.
The prime minister said BNP is not the party of mass people and that is why there can't 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 those who are involved with vote rigging and assumed power through vote rigging do not have the right to say such things.
The premier said that Awami League government has brought democracy back to the country and made Bangladesh stable although BNP tried to disstabilise the country using Hefazat-e-Islam as well as creating militancy and "Bangla Bhai".
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh witnessed a peaceful handover of power for only one time and that was done by Awami League in 2001, but people, administration, police and armed forces of the country as well as leaders and activists of Awami League had to pay a huge cost for it.
She said during the 2001-2006 regime, the then BNP-Jamaat alliance had made the country champion across the globe five times in a row.
Recalling her jail days during the army-backed caretaker government, Sheikh Hasina said that she planned how the country will be governed and how the party will be run.