Don’t be complacent, work for polls victory: PM urges party men

Publish: 12:08 PM, October 1, 2018 | Update: 12:08 PM, October 1, 2018

DHAKA, Oct 1, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged her party leaders and workers not to be over complacent about coming back to power in the next election instead work together to help win of the candidates in all constituencies in the upcoming polls.

“We should not suffer from complacency with the hiccup that Awami League will come to power again. Overconfidence may lead to a great debacle,” she said while addressing the party leaders and workers as they gathered her official residence Gonobhaban to greet her upon her return home from New York after joining the 73rd UN General Assembly.

“You have to always remember that in the course of our journey we are fighting against intrigues in our every step and conspirators are still active. We have come to this stage amidst fierce fight against conspirators which is yet to be over,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina urged every party leaders and workers to put in their efforts to win in every parliamentary seat as defeat in any single constituency may lead to a great debacle.

“So, aspirants of party ticket should refrain from spreading scandal against the sitting MPs,” she said adding that “it’s a wrong politics and wrong way and it may lead to huge reparation like 1991 and 2001.” Sheikh Hasina recalled that in 1991 there were conspiracies inside the party and beyond. A quarter tried to bring Awami League to power except her. To do this, many prospective candidates were dropped and wrong candidates were nominated,” she said.

“There was always a conspiracy in the country so that Awami League or anybody belongs to Bangabandhu family cannot come to power in fear that people would gain strength and turn back again under the leadership,” she said.

“I have come to home at a time when the killers were reigning and war criminals were ruling the country. They made attempts several times on my life, but party leaders and workers protected me,” she said.

“But we came to power by overcoming all adversities for three times and efficiently running the country taking to the path of socioeconomic development,” she added.

The prime minister said she firmly believe that country’s current development was the result of a well-thought-out plan of her government which made it possible to build food security of the poor and changing their lots.

Pointing out that the rivals of Awami League are very strong, the prime minister said the post 1975 rulers have created many beneficiary groups which are active against Awami League. Those people have no root in people but they are greedy for power.

“Being avarice to power they have joined hands with the defeated force and killers and are hatching conspiracy against us,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina also criticized a number of newspapers saying they have piled up false information against us and waiting to release one after another to mislead the people against our achievements.

“Unfortunately, based on those fabricated information various ministries and Anti-Corruption Commission are running after our people,” she said everybody should remain careful about this.

Central Awami League leaders led by General Secretary Obaidul Kader greeted the Prime Minister with bouquet of flowers. Presidents, general secretaries and senior leaders of the front organizations also presented her with flower.

Awami League leaders also hailed the prime minister with flowers on her 72nd birthday falls on September 28 when she was staying abroad.

Terming her participation at the 73rd Session of the UNGA and other high level events as well as her meetings with world leaders very successful and fruitful the prime minister said world leaders now consider Bangladesh as a dignified nation. “Bangladesh is now getting huge honour and dignity in the international arena,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu secured his position as a world leader, dignifying the nation in the world arena. In all international events he was the main attraction. But, Bangladesh had lost the glory after his brutal killing on August 15, 1975.

“We always strived for reestablish the glory by bringing the killers to book and taking the country to economic prosperity,” she said adding that today we can claim that we could do this to a great extent.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh could erase its stigma as a nation of killers by handing down justice to the assailants of Bangabandhu and trial of the war criminals. “It has been proved that none would be able to dominate on Bengali nation as Bangabandhu had said,” she added.

Urging everybody to remain careful about the conspiracy ahead of coming election the prime minister said we have to remember that many brutal killers and betrayers were also born in this country who couldn’t accept the emergence of Bangladesh even being the son of this soil.

“They left Bangladesh with Pakistani passport and aspired to remain as the servant of the Pakistanis. Their blood-seeds are still remains in this soil and they are hatching continuous conspiracy,” she said.

The prime minister said many quarters are now speaking on holding fair and neutral polls but nothing about so called “yes-no” vote introduced by military dictator Ziaur Rahman. “Awami League has established rights of food and franchise of the people of Bangladesh,” she said.

In this regard, the Prime Minister said, over six thousand polls including Municipality, mayoral, union council, and bi-elections were held during last nine and half years and none raised any question about the acceptability of those elections.

She called upon the countrymen including her party leaders and workers to keep vigil against conspiracy to make coming elections questionable.

Sheikh Hasina said, she held talks with US President Donald Trump during the Welcome Reception hosted by US President Donald Trump and requested him to deport Bangabandhu’s killer Rashed Chowdhury from USA.

In response, the prime minister said, Donald Trump asked the concerned officials to take necessary actions in this regard.