AL to return to power with people’s mandate: PM

PM-JS1

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday voiced her high hope in Parliament that Awami League will return to power with people’s mandate in the next general election and continue its all-out efforts to develop the country.

“Inshahallah, we’ll return to power with people’s verdict…the overall progress of the country will continue,” she said taking part in an unscheduled discussion marking the 64th founding anniversary of the ruling Awami League.

AL MP Tofail Ahmed initiated the discussion standing on point of order to discuss the founding anniversary of the Awami League at the very beginning of the day’s discussion. Another AL MP Amir Hossain Amu also took part in the discussion.

Describing various achievements of the AL since in its inception, Hasina told the House, “We work with sincerity… we work for the development of the country because AL brought the country’s Independence after a long struggle.”

Hasina, also the President of the ruling Awami League, mentioned that the much-awaited economic emancipation of the country will be attained under the leadership of the Awami League.

The Prime Minister said no one except the Awami League thinks about the country’s progress. “It’s the Awami League that only thinks about the welfare of people…no one other than Awami League will work for the country and its people if they come to power ….this is the reality.”

In this connection, she pointed out that it is only the Awami League that sacrificed for the country. “Those who don’t sacrifice for the country, those who never faced hardship, didn’t face jail, oppression and torture never think about the country and its people,” she said.

Hasina said the Awami League has been working for the freedom of this nation since its founding. “We worked for the economic emancipation, political and cultural freedom whenever we came to power,” she told the House.

Turning to the victory against Myanmar over maritime boundary dispute, the Prime Minister said if Awami League is voted to power again it would bring the same positive results from India.

Recalling the nation-building process of Bangabandhu after 1971, she said it was very unfortunate for the people of the country that whenever they headed towards progress, the conspirators started their conspiracies.

Mentioning the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, she said, “Those who got defeated in 1971, those couldn’t accept the defeat, they gave the final bite on August 15, 1975.”

About the trial of the war criminals, Hasina said Bangabandhu had started the trial, but the military dictator stopped it after his assassination. “We’ve resumed the trial. We’ll execute the verdicts of the trial and free the nation from the stigma.”

Regarding the trial of the Bangabandhu’s killing case, she recalled that the killers had been given indemnity and rewarded with jobs. “Those killers had said that no one would be able to bring them under trial.”

After assuming power in 1996, the Prime Minister said, her government put them in the dock and executed the verdict of the court.

Describing the oppression and torture carried out after the 2001 election, Hasina said those can be compared with that of the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.

She also mentioned that Awami League has been able to ensure the voting rights of people after a long fight. “We’ve established the rights of people,” she said adding, “We restored democracy in the country through amending the Constitution that was altered by military dictators during their rules.”

Source: UNBConnect