Hasina in AL re-election call

Chittagong Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 26 Jan 2013, 09:24 AM
Updated : 26 Jan 2013, 09:26 AM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday again called upon the countrymen to re-elect the Awami League in the next parliamentary election for "continuation of development and welfare of the people".

Addressing a mammoth public rally at the Rangunia Pilot School playground in Chittagong district in the afternoon, Hasina said that after assuming office in January 2009, her government had enhanced the country’s power generation capacity significantly, nationalised over 26,000 primary schools across the country and raised the wages of the workers by 60-70 percent.

She also claimed that the country has become self-sufficient in food.

“I urge you to cast your votes for the boat symbol to give the Awami League another chance to serve the country, make the country free from stigma and for the continuation of development work", she said.

Hasina reached the rally ground at around 4pm and started addressing the gathering at around 4:15pm.

She reiterated her government's firm commitment to complete the trial of those who committed war crimes during Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971.

She said the International Crimes Tribunal announced its maiden verdict against Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar who committed crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation. The trial of the remaining culprits must be finished to free the nation from a 42 year-old stigma, she said.

The Prime Minister said her government has so far re-opened 27 jute mills to regain the lost glory of the ‘golden fiber’.

“While in power, the BNP handed over the country’s share of the international market of jute to India pushing the sector towards destruction.”

Highlighting various achievements of the present government, the Prime Minister said her party assumed power to ensure people's welfare, but she alleged that the BNP "assumes power to resort to looting of public properties".

“The opposition leader has amassed so much of wealth through corruption that she had to legalise that by giving fine,” Hasina added.

In her half-hour-long speech, she listed the success and development projects taken by her government in the last four years.

Rangunia municipality mayor and the upazila unit Awami League President Khalilur Rahman Chowdhury presided over the meeting organised by the upazila unit of the Awami League.

The rally was was addressed, among others, by Jute and Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr Afsarul Amin, Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, central Awami League Organising Secretary Bir Bahadur MP, Chittagong city unit Awami League President ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, President of Awami League Chittagong north district unit Engineer Mosharraf Hossain MP and ruling party lawmakers Nurul Islam BSC, Abul Kashem Master, Hasina Mannan and Chemon Ara Toiaba.

Earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister inaugurated the 54th convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) on the IEB Chittagong Centre premises and addressed the inaugural session.

After inaugurating the IEB convention, she went to the Circuit House from where she inaugurated the Faujdarhat Nursing College, Institute of Health Technology at Faujdarhat, Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases and Cardiac Surgery Department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

From the same venue, she also laid the foundation stone of an 850-bed hospital for women and children.

Later, she flew to Pomra in Rangunia to inaugurate the resumption of operations of Karnaphuli Jute Mills and Forat Carpet Factory.