DHAKA, Jan 10, 2024 (BSS) - Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today said none can hinder the advancement of Bangladesh towards prosperity since her party is voted to power again.

"I firmly believe none can impede the advancement of Bangladesh as the Awami League is voted to power again," she said.

She also said the absolute victory of the AL in the 12th parliamentary polls has proved again that the power of the people is the main thing.

"So, none can play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people," she said.
 
The Prime Minister made the remarks while presiding over an AL grand rally at the historic Suhrawardi Udyan here marking the historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The AL is also observing the Day as the day of jubilation for the landslide victory of the party in the 12th parliamentary election held on January 7 bagging 222 parliamentary seats out of 298.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh got the status of a developing nation in 2021 when the nation was celebrating twin mega events, the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and golden jubilee of the independence.

"The country could not march ahead if the Awami League was not voted to power again," she said.

Bangabandhu, the supreme commander of the country's Liberation War, returned to independent Bangladesh via London and New Delhi on 10 January 1972, after 290 days of confinement in Pakistan jail.

Bangabandhu's Home Coming day is being observed today across the country in a befitting manner.

Sheikh Hasina, also Awami League president, thanked the people of the country for taking part in the last general polls spontaneously and voting her party to power again confronting every sort of fear, arson terrorism and conspiracies.

"There had been conspiracies to thwart the (12th parliamentary) election. They (BNP-Jamaat) had tried to resist the people from balloting (by burning people to death through arson violence and distributing leaflets). Despite the fact, the voting turnout was 41.8 percent," she said.

She added that the voting turnout is a great thing as the AL-led alliance did the election while the BNP-Jamaat clique tried to foil the polls.

To this end, the premier said the BNP-Jamaat alliance created the same kind of mayhem as they did in 2013-14 and they had failed both the times due to people's spontaneous participation.

She said the people of the country had boycotted the BNP in 2008 parliamentary election in which the BNP-led alliance only got 30 seats while the Awami League alone bagged 233 seats.

"The 2008 election result proves that the people of the country boycotted them," she said.

The 12th parliamentary election was held in a free, fair and neutral manner, the Prime Minister said and thanked the Election Commission and others concerned.

"So, none can say the election was held at night in spite of day," she said.
 
The premier said the election was held in such a (good) way because her government formed the Election Commission (by enacting laws) while the law enforcing agencies and administration were at the hands of the EC and they extended all sorts of support.

"We let the Election Commission to hold the election. We did not interfere in anyway rather helped to hold the election," she said.

The Prime Minister reiterated her government's promises of transforming the country into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

She said since she had lost her near and dear ones, including parents and brothers, she considers the people of the country as her relatives.

"The people of the country are my relatives. So, I am running the state to change the fate of the people," she said.

She thanked her party's lawmakers for electing as the president of the Awami League Parliamentary Party leader again after taking oath today.

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Tranaport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, MP, Presidium Members Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya (Bir Bikram), MP, Advocate Qamrul Islam, MP, Dr Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak,MP, Abdur Rahman,MP, Joint General Secretaries and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud,MP, Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, MP, among other, spoke at the rally.

Publicity and Publication Secretary of the AL Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap and his deputy Syed Abdul Awal Shameem moderated it.

The premier also witnessed a colorful cultural programme.