Awami League to celebrate third year in 10th Parliament Thursday

The Awami League has decided to hold rallies across Bangladesh and two big public meetings in the capital to mark the third anniversary of the 10th Parliament on Thursday.

The two public meetings will be held at the Russell Square and the Bangabandhu Avenue, a party source said.

The Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League and the Dhaka Metropolitan South Awami League will be organising the meetings.

The ruling party is calling it the "Victory of Democracy Day" while the BNP termed it the "Death of Democracy Day".

The Awami League took power for a second successive term through the Jan 5, 2014, general election boycotted by the BNP.

This year, the BNP has called for holding ‘black flag rallies’ across the country barring Dhaka on Thursday.

Addressing the executive members of her party at the Ganabhaban on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her party has governed the country with great success over the last three years.

"The people have voted us to power, and we have managed to live up to their expectations of delivering peace and development," she said.

"No government has been able to govern the country with this kind of success in the past," Hasina added.

The development of Bangladesh has caught the world by surprise, she said.

In her words, the eight successive years of rule by the Awami League has ensured visible development in the country.

"Our development paradigm is village-centric. We have not allowed any urban rich to become richer," the prime minister said.

"No one can hold back Bangladesh’s development anymore. It (development) will continue in the future. I am confident about it," she said.