Shawdesh Desk:

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday vowed to work as long as she would be alive to materialise the dream of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to establish a Sonar Bangladesh.

‘I have nothing to get for my personal gains; rather the aim of my life is to materialise the ideals of Bangabandhu based on which he had run the country,’ she said while speaking at a discussion arranged by the UK chapter of Awami League in London.

Recalling her bitter experience after her return from exile following the August 15 massacre in 1975, Sheikh Hasina said she returned home alone losing all of her near and dear ones on that night.

Highlighting various successes of the present government, she said Awami League had a policy and idealism to develop and advance the country.

Taking a swipe at BNP, the prime minister said it turned Bangladesh into a country of food deficit while in power during the 2001-2006 period.

The Awami League chief also elaborated massive destructive activities of the BNP-led government.

She said BNP leaders were indulged in corruption, money-laundering and looting while its activists were involved in burning people to death, terrorism and extremism as well as killing and torturing the AL leaders and workers.

At the beginning of her speech, Sheikh Hasina prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other martyred members of her family as well as the martyred four national leaders.

The prime minister was addressing a huge community gathering, organised at the famous Central Hall at the heart of London in Westminster in the afternoon.

Marking the 44th martyrdom anniversary of the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning Day, UK Awami League organised the community event.

Sheikh Hasina said that she would be working till her last breath for realising the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Amid pin-drop silence from her full-house audience, Sheikh Hasina started her speech recalling the brutal killing of her father, mother and other family members on August 15, 1975.

She said the killers of Bangabandhu were not brought to justice; instead they were rewarded by General Ziaur Rahman.

The prime minister recalled the contributions of expatriate Bangladeshis to the country’s economic development as well as their role in different democratic movements.

Sheikh Hasina urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to invest in a bigger way to help establish a developed and prosperous nation.

‘We are establishing 100 economic zones in the country for more industrialisation and employment you can set up mills and factories in these zones by taking advantage of the country’s investment-friendly environment,’ she said.

Highlighting her government’s various steps for developing the country, the prime minister said her government had already brought down poverty rate to 21 per cent from 41 per cent.

‘We want to cut the rate further. We don’t want anyone to remain homeless, hungry and without healthcare,’ she said.

Spelling out her government’s tremendous success in different sectors, including agriculture, education, health and energy, the prime minister said the country was marching towards development and prosperity due to continuation of democracy.

Referring to the December 30 general elections, Sheikh Hasina said the BNP suffered a debacle in the polls as the party was not sincere in the elections.

‘BNP wanted to make the polls questionable and they did nomination trade by giving 5/6 candidates from a single seat,’ she said.

Hasina said that BNP-Jamaat mayhem, from 2013-2015 to overthrow the government and resist elections, killed and injured a huge number of people through arson attacks.

‘Even the women and children were not spared from them,’ she said.

Referring to the recent dengue outbreak in Bangladesh, the prime minister said apart from the administration, party workers had been involved in the cleaning operation for managing dengue.

She also referred to the recent rumour about milk standard in Bangladesh and said that the rumour was proved baseless through proper test overseas.

‘We should remain cautious about such propaganda for keeping the progress of Bangladesh unhindered,’ Sheikh Hasina said.

Veteran journalist Abdul Gaffar Chaudhury also addressed the programme, presided over by UK Awami League president Sultan Mahmud Sharif.

Among others, AL presidium member and former commerce minister Muhammad Faruk Khan and state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam were present at the programme.

UK Awami League secretary Syed Sajidur Rahman conducted the programme.

Bangladeshi expatriates of different ages and backgrounds started to gather at the venue in groups hours before the event. Wearing black badges, they came from different cities and towns of the United Kingdom and various European countries.