Playing with people’s fate won’t be tolerated: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Haisna on Saturday warned that her government would not allow anyone to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of the country.
‘We do not want anyone playing ducks and drakes with the fate of the people. It will not be tolerated,’ she said at a mass reception at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.
The ruling Awami League accorded the mass reception to Hasina, also the party president, for her government’s success in leading Bangladesh to attain the status of developing country graduating from the group of least-developed countries, sending Bangabandhu Seattleite-1 in the orbit and for achieving Doctor of Letters degree from Kazi Nazrul Islam University in India.
Hasina dedicated the honour to the people of Bangladesh.
Quoting a song from Rabindranath Tagore, she said that such plaudits were more than she deserved.
‘What is most important to me is that what the people have received,’ she said.
‘My politics is for the exploited and deprived people. I will feel myself successful when we will be able to build their fate,’ she said.
The premier alleged that the post-75 governments carried out nothing for the people.
‘Those who assumed office after assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were busy with making their fortune,’ she said, adding that the voting rights of people was also snatched after the August 15, 1975.
Thousands of leaders and activists of AL and its associate organisations as well as noted personalities, professionals and common people from different corners of the capital and its adjacent districts thronged to the venue with processions since noon, few hours before the scheduled time of the programme.
The leaders and activists came to the venue carrying banners and festoons, AL electoral symbol boat, wearing colourful T-shirts and caps and with band party. 
They chanted slogans in favour of Hasina and the government and stressing the need for electing AL in the next national polls.
As the prime minister began his speech after 4:40pm, thousands of AL leaders and activists were waiting on roads surrounding Suhrwardy Udyan to listen her speech. 
Addressing the programme, Hasina slammed a quarter for taking hard stance against AL electoral symbol boat.
‘What is the fault of boat’ asked Hasina, saying that boat had given the rights to speak in mother tongue, achieved the country’s independence, turned the country into self sufficient in food, reduced the poverty to 22 per cent and it was now turning the country into a developing one.
Recalling her tough time after returning home from exile, Hasina said she never compromised her principles and ideology despite conspiracies against her.
‘I had to pass a bumpy path upholding my ideology with the only goal that I must fulfil my father’s dream. I won’t regret if I lose my life in doing so,’ she said.
The prime minister said that her government was working to ensure food, accommodation and improved lifestyle for the people, particularly the rural people, as dreamt by the founding president of the country.
‘I have no desire to gain anything. My lone goal is to ensure food, clothes and improved lifestyle for people,’ she said.
She expressed her desire to serve the people to change their lives until her death. ‘My father’s soul will get peace...I know he will see from heaven that the people of his country are now doing well...their lives have changed for the better...My only aim is to fulfil my father’s dream,’ she said.
Over the opposition’s allegation of lack of democracy in the country, the prime minister said that they restored the democracy and introduced transparent ballot box and electoral roll with photographs.
‘We conducted more than six thousand local body elections in the past 10 years where people chose their representatives. Democracy is at the hands of the people,’ she said.
Referring to Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat’s attempt to foil the 10th parliamentary polls, Hasina said that her government retained democracy through the 2014 elections.
The people voted in favour of AL braving all obstacles, she said, adding ‘As we have been able to form the government, we have been able to change the fate of the people.’
The prime minister alleged that the government of BNP and Jamaat stopped all the pro-people projects of the AL-led government after assuming office in 2001.
Listing her government’s development activities, including the launching of Bangabandhu satellite and stepping into the commissioning of the nuclear power plant, she said, ‘Bangladesh has regained its honourable position in international arena for massive development in all indicators.’
She expressed hope for celebrating the country’s golden jubilee in 2021 and 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 2020 in a grand way.
Hasina also expressed her hope to turn hunger and poverty free Bangladesh by 2021 and turn it the Switzerland of the east by 2041.
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader read out a letter of congratulations to the prime minister.
AL publicity and publication secretary Hasan Mahmud and cultural secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil conducted the programme with AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.
Before beginning of the programme, different cultural programmes were staged.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net