ZCZC
BSS-37
PM-DISCUSSION 3 DHAKA
Pointing out the sacrifice of the Awami League leaders and workers since its inception, Sheikh Hasina said no leaders of any party except Awami League made such sacrifice.
She said many conspiracies were hatched to split Awami League before the independence and after Bangabandhu’s assassination. “But as much as plots were orchestrated against Awami League it was brightened to that extent like diamond,” she said.
The prime minister said the AL leaders and workers endured torture and repression since the party’s inception. “AL founding general secretary Shamsul Haque lost mental balance due to torture of the Pakistani rulers and repeated jail and repression pushed him towards death,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said it is true that Maulana Bhashani left Awami League, but he was a part of history.
“Maulana Bhashani used to write letters to Bangabandhu if he needs anything and the Father of the Nation did not mind to send everything Bhashani needed,” she said.
In this connection, the premier said she also extended support to Bhashani’s family after her returned to the country in 1981.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s stunning socioeconomic development in the last 10 years, the prime minister said it has been possible due to the continuity of the Awami League government.
In this connection, she expressed gratitude to the people and the party men. “The people have given scope to us to serve them by keeping confidence in and electing us time and again,” she said.
The AL chief said the fate of the people changed and they got something whenever the party came to power. “We’ve brought down poverty rate to 21 percent from 40 percent and I’ve announced that we will cut down the rate further and we know that 17/18 percent poverty rate exist in many developed countries,” she said.
“We’ll show that we can reduce poverty to a level at least 1 percent less than those countries,” she added.
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