Keep Awami League to keep development: PM Hasina

Awami League ’s return to power is crucial to continue the socio-economic development in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

She was speaking at a reception in Budapest hosted by the party’s expatriate leaders in Europe. 

“The country will develop if Awami League is in power. It will suffer if others are elected.”  

“We’ll have to ask our people what they want. Development or distress?” she told the leaders.  

The Awami League returned to power in 2014 for its second consecutive term following an election boycotted by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.  

The party was now preparing for the 11th National Election in 2019.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who heads the Awami League, was on a three-day visit to Hungary to attend the Budapest Water Summit-2016.    

She urged party leaders to reach out to the people to make sure the Awami League, which led Bangladesh’s War of Independence, can return to power for its third term.     

“Ours is an organisation crafted by the Nation’s Father. No one else can develop Bangladesh like Awami League can,” she said in her speech at the city's Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also chairperson of the Awami League, was on a three-day visit to Hungary to attend the Budapest Water Summit.    

She urged party leaders to reach out to the people to make sure the Awami League, which led Bangladesh’s War of Independence, can return to power for its third term.     

“Ours is an organisation crafted by the Nation’s Father. No one else can develop Bangladesh like Awami League,” she said in her speech at Budapest’s Four Seasons Hotel. 

The BNP led by Khaleda Zia, and out of Parliament, has proposed a 13-point plan for the next Election Commission, which it said should be formed on the basis of an all-party consensus.  

Hasina criticised the rival party for trying to “find flaws in everything”.  

“There are some people who are never satisfied with anything. Their work is to find ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in everything and start campaigns on them.” 

Sheikh Hasina daughter to the nation’s founder, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said other members of her family were also working for the country ‘from behind the curtain’. 

The prime minister mentioned the violence during the 92 days of strikes and blockades from January 2015 which the BNP had sponsored to protest against the 2014 election. 

“What could they possibly have to give to the people? They burn people to death.”