'Boat' will make the 'Smart Bangladesh' of 2041: HPM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday called upon the people to cast their votes for boat (Awami League's electoral symbol) in the forthcoming national election to give her party the opportunity to serve them again.

"It is my call to you (the country's people) to give us the opportunity to serve you again by casting your vote for boat," she said, addressing a grand rally as chief guest, organized by Khulna City and District Awami League at Khulna Circuit House ground.

Sheikh Hasina said boat has given independence, boat has given development, Bangladesh has attained the status of developing nation as you have voted for boat, and this vote will give the smart Bangladesh of 2041."

In smart Bangladesh, she said, the population of the country will be smart and they will have smart government, smart economy and smart society.

"Bangladesh will be smart, developed, prosperous, modern knowledge-based Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she added.

Dismissing the opposition BNP as headless Sheikh Hasina said the party seeks to create an unusual situation by foiling the upcoming national election.

“They know that they do not have any leadership. They are just a party without any head. One is absconding and another is in jail. That party does not want to hold any election. They just want to create an unnatural situation,” she said.

She said national polls are upcoming and all must remain vigilant during the voting.

“BNP-Jamaat knows that in 2008 elections they have got only 30 seats,” she said.

She again warned that the hands that set fire to vehicles would be burnt in the same fire.

“Give them a good lesson so that no one dares harm any one of the country. That kind of incident must not be allowed to happen again,” she said.

She asked the Awami League and its associate bodies to give protection to the country's people and the law enforcement agencies.

The prime minister said that whenever the Awami League comes to power the country gets developed and the people get welfare.

“It is very much regretful that BNP is the synonym of terrorism. The only task of BNP-Jamaat is to kill people through arson attacks,” she said.

In this connection, she mentioned the incidents of October 28 when, she said, BNP-Jamaat miscreants mercilessly beat a policeman to death.

She said that BNP-Jamaat terrorists injured 45 policemen and attacked journalists who went there to cover their programs.

“They attacked hospitals like the Israeli forces in Gaza. They also vandalised ambulances. I do not think that they have a little bit of humanity,” she said.

She mentioned that the only virtue of BNP-Jamaat is to kill people.

She said that the government has already declared to award Tk20,000 for nabbing arson terrorists and handing them to law enforcement agencies.

“We will not spare anyone who is involved in killing people through arson attacks,” she said.

She said that the continuous democratic process is helping Bangladesh gain massive development, visible to all.

Khulna Awami League President and Khulna City Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque presided over the rally.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and party leaders Sheikh Helal Uddin, Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel and Sheikh Sharhan Naser Tonmoy also spoke.