Sheikh Hasina says she is ready to make any sacrifice to take Bangladesh further

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has renewed her resolve to continue taking the nation forward even if means she has to give her own life.

She made the announcement at a public reception accorded to her in Dhaka on Friday for government’s successes including making way for implementation of Land Boundary Agreement with India.

The prime minister told her audience that gathered braving rain at Suhrawardy Udyan: “What we’ve achieved is not a big thing. This is not the end. 

“We have to go a long way. Bangladesh has to be taken to the pinnacle of development.”

“I don’t fear death. I will die since I was born. I’ve nothing to lose. I’m always ready to make any sacrifice for this country,” she added.

“I will be working for the emancipation of the Bengali nation. Bangladesh is moving ahead braving all barriers and will continue doing so.”

She thanked the organisers, National Citizen Committee, for the reception and said: “The development her government had achieved on social and economic fronts was the contribution of the people.”

“I don’t deserve this honour; the people of Bengal deserve it. That’s why I want to dedicate all of this to the people of Bengal,” she added.

Hasina reminisced about her experience after returning home ending six-year exile following murders of most of her family in 1975.
 
Struggling to check her emotion, he said: “I didn’t get back my parents, brothers, little Russel. But I found the love of my parents in the people of Bangladesh.”
  
Cabinet members, advisers to the prime minister, Awami League Presidium members, general secretary and Central Working Committee members, two Dhaka mayors, public university vice-chancellors, National Press Club’s new president, business leaders and professionals joined the event.
 
Leaders and activists of the ruling party and its front organisations started arriving at the venue from noon.
 
Committee chief writer Syed Shamsul Haque, in his speech, urged all to call Hasina ‘Desharatna (Jewel of the country)’ from now on.
 
The audience endorsed with applause.
 
Haque said: “We want to use the title Desharatna before her name from today -- Deshratna Sheikh Hasina.”
 
Earlier, he received the prime minister when she reached the venue around 4pm.
 
Haque and Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman handed over two mementos to her.
 
Anisuzzaman also read out a written felicitation for Hasina. 
 
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, 1971 Independence War martyr’s wife Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, educationist Anupam Sen, economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman, historian Muntasir Mamun, cultural personality Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu and Bangladesh national cricket team’s former captain Akram Khan spoke at the function highlighting Bangladesh’s advancements.

Focusing on Bangladesh’s economic progress, the prime minister said: “After independence, many used to ridicule the country by saying Bangladesh is a bottomless basket. Bangladesh is not a bottomless basket.

“I want to tell them our basket is full of development.”

Hasina said she had nothing to achieve for herself. 
 
“I’ve given up everything after ’75 (incident). Now I have only one goal. This Bangladesh is the country of our pride. 
 
“It has been earned through great sacrifice. A better life has to be given to the people.

“Their lives have to be made meaningful. Our goal is the development of country’s people.”

The prime minister said her another goal was to develop South Asia further through regional cooperation.

She spoke of her wishes to celebrate Bangladesh’s golden jubilee in 2021 as the hunger-free and developed nation.

Quoting her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the prime minister said: “We need to sacrifice for great achievements. All have to work with the spirit of sacrifice to achieve anything.”

“To protect our independence we can make any sacrifice. The Father of the Nation had given us independence.”
 
The prime minister sought blessings from all to rid the country of the stigma by completing war crimes trials.

Hasina said her government was able to make the achievements only because the people had voted the Awami League to power.

Referring to her assuming office in 2009 with a clear majority, Hasina said: “We’d announced a vision to take the country forward with the spirit of Liberation War.

“The march towards progress that we had initiated after coming to power in 1996 was undone between 2001 (elections) and 2007 (takeover by caretaker government).”

The prime minister said: “I’m grateful to the people of Bangladesh for voting us to power in 2009 elections and giving us the chance to serve (the country).

“We can serve the people because they have given us the opportunity,” she added.