Gen polls in Dec: PM

Mentioning that the next general election will be held in December next, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday sought vote for ‘boat’, the election symbol of Awami League, to achieve the goal of making Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country.
‘Awami League means development...Bangladesh will be developed and prosperous. The people of Bangladesh, both at home and abroad, will move forward with dignity in the global arena. It’s our goal. To achieve the goal, we want vote for ‘boat’ in the next election to be held in December next,’ she said.
Formally launching the election campaign in Sylhet, Awami League president sought vote while addressing a public rally, arranged by district Awami League, at Sylhet Alia Madrassah ground in the afternoon.
She urged voters to remain alert against terrorism, extremism and corruption. ‘There’s no room for terrorism, extremism and corruption on Bangladesh soil.’
Noting that the ‘boat’ symbol brought the country’s independence and showed the path of prosperity, she said the boat is taking Bangladesh towards the path of development.
As in the past, the AL president launched her party’s campaign from Sylhet for the 11th national polls.
Earlier, the prime minister offered fateha at the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal, Hazrat Shah Paran and Hazrat Gazi Borhan Uddin in the city.
‘When Awami League comes to power, the country sees development. But BNP-Jamaat alliance who are looters, killers and arson attackers know how to destroy,’ she said mentioning different development works by Awami League government.
Sheikh Hasina said BNP indulges in extremism and terrorism when it comes to power. ‘When Awami League remains in power, Bangladesh earns fame and gets awards. But when the BNP remains in power, Bangladesh is condemned.’
She said BNP and Jamaat resorted to killing and massive vandalism in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and fell huge number trees in the country. ‘BNP knows only destruction; it doesn’t know to build anything.’
During the violence 
carried out by BNP in the three years, some 500 people were killed, more than 3,036 people suffered burn injuries as well as 3,252 buses, 29 rails, nine launches and 70 government offices were torched, she added.
‘We’ve never seen such fire violence. The movement is for the people and for materializing the demands of the people. But BNP burned people to death...when people came up to resist, they (BNP) refrained from it,’ the prime minister said.
If Awami League had not come to power in 2014, the country would not have seen the massive development and the country’s people would not have got the touch of development, she said.
The AL president said Bangladesh has now become a role model in the whole world and its people got dignity as her party was voted to power.
About extremism, she said, Islam is a religion of peace. Islam never supports extremism and terrorism. ‘Those who kill innocent people in the name of Islam they will never go to the heaven,’ she added.
She urged all, including parents, teachers, conscious citizens, religious leaders and guardians, to stay alert whether their children are being deviated.
Meanwhile, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday offered fateha at the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal, Hazrat Shah Paran and Hazrat Gazi Borhan Uddin in Sylhet.
Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 14 development projects and laid the foundation stones of 24 others.
The development projects are – a prayer room for women at Hazrat Gazi Borhan Uddin shrine, beautification of the shrine and extension of its main road up to 2km, a six-storey academic-cum-administrative building of Sylhet Government College, a building for fertiliser testing and research laboratory at Pirijpur, district office of Department of Narcotics Control, Sylhet divisional and district NSI office building, Sylhet Muktijoddha Complex Bhaban, Zakiganj upazila Muktijoddha Complex Bhaban, a 12-storey Nagar Bhaban of Sylhet City Corporation, a drainage system at Babuchhara, extension of Jalalbad road, Sylhet-Sunamganj bypass road, overlay works on Moulvibazar-Rajnagar-Fenchuganj-Sylhet road, Rashidpur-Bishwanath-Lamakazi road, Sylhet-Gopalganj-Charkhai-Zakiganj road, Darbasta-Kanaighat-Shahabagh road and Dhaka (Kanchpur)-Bhairab-Jagadishpur-Sayestaganj-Sylhet-Tamabil-Jaflang road (Sylhet-Sherpur point), pavement work at Sherpur toll plaza point on the highway, Sultanpur union parishad complex bhaban under Zakiganj upazila, Kamalbazar union parishad complex bhaban under Dakshin Surma Upazila, Kanaighat road and a three-storey primary healthcare centre at Kuituk.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net