Hasina wants Awami League to 'reach out to people' for a third poll win

Awami League has to win the next parliamentary polls due in 2019 to ensure Bangladesh's economic development and growth, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Sunday.

Addressing the party's National Council on Sunday, she said, "Awami League must come back to power to take the nation forward towards its goal of becoming a poverty-free nation."

The Awami League came to power in December 2008 polls and returned to power in the January 2014 polls for a second successive term.

Hasina, who is also the Awami League president, reached the Institution of Engineers auditorium for the last day of the National Council session at 9.40am.

She was accompanied by the party's general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam.

As many as 6,750 party councillors will choose the new leadership of the Awami League on Sunday.

Hasina began addressing the councillors' session by stressing on the next national elections.

"The polls are coming… For a third win, we need to reach out to the people and tell them about the development done during our tenure," she said. "We need to make the people realise that Awami League in power would ensure socio-economic development."

Hasina said she wants 'honesty' among party activists.

"As long as I am alive, I want to elect a leader to strengthen the party," she said. But that evoked a negative from the councillors who said "No, no."

Hasina, who has been heading the Awami League since 1981, had said recently that she would be 'happy' to retire given the opportunity and if the party manages to find a new leader.

AL leaders, however, insist that there's no alternative to Hasina.

She has made it clear that the council will elect the next batch of leaders, but party leaders are depending on her to make decisions.

Speaking on Sunday, Hasina said that the party is her family. "Awami League is family, my dearest one. I have not given as much time to my children as I have to the party."