PM seeks vote for ‘boat’ to serve people again

Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina has called upon the people to cast their votes for ‘boat’ in the forthcoming national election to give her party the opportunity to serve them again.

The Prime Minister made call while delivering her a televised address on Thursday ahead of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad election slated for January 7.Following is the full text of her speech.  
 
Thursday
20 Paush 1430
4 January 2024
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
 
Dear countrymen
Assalamu Alaikum.
Wishing you all a very happy New Year.
Bangladesh Awami League is going to finish the current term with great success by forming the government for the fourth time in the post-1975 period after winning the 11th Jatiya Sangsad Election in 2018 with a huge margin of vote. The 12th Jatiya Sangsad Election will be held on January 7.

I remember with deep respect the Greatest Bangalee of All Time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Remembering the four national leaders and 30 lakh martyrs and 2 lakh oppressed mothers and sisters of the liberation war. I salute the freedom fighters.

I recall with profound grief the victims of the heinous killing on August 15, 1975, my mother Bangmata Fazilatun Nesha Mujib, three brothers- freedom fighter captain Sheikh Kamal, freedom fighter lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and ten-year-old Sheikh Russell- Kamal and Jamal's newlywed wife Sultana Kamal and Rozi Jamal, my uncle freedom fighter Sheikh Abu Naser, Military Secretary to the President Brigadier Jamil and ASI Siddiqur Rahman of Police Intelligence and all other martyrs of that night.

I pay deep respect to Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, founding president of Bangladesh Awami League, one of the oldest political parties of this subcontinent, general secretary Shamsul Haque and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the champion of democracy.

Remembering Awami League's 22 leaders and activists including Ivy Rahman, who were killed in the grenade attack on August 21, 2004. Remembering 21 thousand leaders and activists including former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, Awami League leader Ahsanullah Master, Manjurul Imam and Momtaz Uddin who were brutally murdered after BNP-Jamaat came to power in 2001.

I remember those who were killed in the BNP-Jamaat alliance's arson attacks and petrol bombings. Condolences to the injured and bereaved family members.
 
Dear Countrymen,
The father of the nation deployed all his might to rebuild the war-torn Bangladesh, standing on the destroyed infrastructure and economy as a result of Pakistan's 24-year exploitation and the scorched-earth policy of Pakistan in the 1971 liberation war. In just 3 years 7 months 3 days, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib achieved a prestigious status for Bangladesh at the global stage by running the government. In 1972, the per capita income of Bangladesh was $91. The father of the nation increased it to $277 in just 3 and a half years. From 1976 to 1991, the illegitimate governments of Bangladesh increased per capita income by only $5 in 16 long years. During the tenure of the Father of the Nation, the growth rate exceeded 9 percent. But, all the development and progress of Bangladesh had stopped after the killing of the father of the nation along with his family members on August 15 in 1975.
I and my younger sister Sheikh Rehana were abroad when the father of the nation was killed.

That is why we survived. We were forced to live as refugees for long 6 years. In 1979, Ziaur Rahman staged an illegal election through yes/no voting. In that election, the counting of votes showed turnout of more than 100 percent votes. Ziaur Rahman was illegally the army chief on one side and the president on the other.

The then military ruler Ziaur Rahman prevented us from coming to the country. I returned to the country in 1981 with the support of Bangladesh Awami League and the people. I returned to the country ignoring all threats from the illegally ruling government, Father of the Nation's murderers and plotters and the war criminals.

I started the struggle to establish people's right to vote and food. That's why I came under attack again and again. I protested against the military regime for the democratic rights of the people and was arrested many times. I faced assassination attempts at least 19 times. But I didn't give up. Finally, I was able to return the right to vote to the people.

After long 21 years, Bangladesh Awami League formed government by winning the general election held on 12th June, 1996. It made an end to killings, coups and military rule.

In the post-1975 period, illegitimate governments' isolation from people, looting and governing the state without any philosophy turned Bangladesh into an undignified state. Bangladesh was known to the outside world as a land of floods, storms, tides and beggars-poor-destitute people. At that time, the poverty rate in the country was about 55 percent.

During the 1996-2001 tenure, we took several groundbreaking initiatives to alleviate poverty. We established peace in the hills by inking the hill tracts peace accord. Various allowances were introduced for the poor and marginal groups, special programs for them such as: Ashrayan Project, Ghore Fera, establishing of community clinics played a special role in alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of marginal people.

Adoption of farmer and agro-friendly policies made the country self-sufficient in food production rapidly. Besides, we adopted short, medium and long-term policies in various sectors; which put a far-reaching effect on the economy.

Dear Countrymen,
From June 23, 1996 to July 15, 2001 - 26 years after completing these 5 years, the Awami League government handed over power peacefully for the first time in the history of Bangladesh.

BNP-Jamaat came back to power in 2001 through a conspiracy, just when the country was overcoming financial stagnation and embarking on the highway of socio-economic development. Under the umbrella of the state, a campaign to torture and repress Awami League leaders and workers began. As many as 21, 000 leader and workers were killed. Many ongoing development projects were shelved for political reasons alone. By opening the 'Hawa Bhavan', looting of state resources, corruption, terrorism, militancy and misrule continue freely.

On August 21 in 2004, grenade attack was launched on Awami League's peace rally that killed 22 leaders and wounded more than 500 people. Bomb attacks in districts, clanging of weapons, session jam and uncertain life of students in educational institutions were the common phenomena during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government. Militancy, terrorism, arms smuggling, money laundering, embezzlement of bank money and the dual rule of Hawa Bhaban made public life miserable.

At the end of the term, in 2006, through the BNP-Jamaat alliance was supposed to hold elections after handing over the power, the party resorted to various tricks to hold the power forever. With a view to rigging the election, a voter list was formulated including 01 crore 23 lakh fake voters as well as a submissive Election Commission was formed.

Such of their activities led Bangladesh on the path of darkness. As a result, a state of emergency was imposed in the country. The military force seized power from behind the scene. This government of Iajuddin, Fakhruddin and Mainuddin snatched away the rights of the people and started running a steamroller on them. Design was made to break up the established political parties. I and many leaders of my party and other party leaders were imprisoned. An initiative was taken to hold elections after trying to form different parties.

But conscious countrymen in unison resisted this plot. In the face of people's agitation, they were forced to hold the 9th parliamentary elections. However, they implemented some of the demands of the electoral reforms that the Awami League-led Grand Alliance presented - such as: preparation of voter lists with photographs, cancellation of the list of 1 crore 23 lakh fake voters, and use of transparent ballot boxes.

The Awami League-led Grand Alliance achieved a landslide victory in the general election held on December 29, 2008. Awami League alone won 233 seats. And BNP alone won only 30 seats. Partners of the both the alliances won the rest of the seats.
 
Dear Countrymen,
There is a huge gap between Bangladesh 15 years ago and today's Bangladesh. People's living standard has improved. Today, the people dream of a developed life. They dream of a beautiful life.

I am presenting the picture what was the socio-economic condition of Bangladesh in the last year of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government in 2006; and what progress has been achieved during the Awami League government from 2009 to 2023:

Growth rate is 7.25 percent, per capita income increased 5 times. The size of budget has increased 12 times. Annual development program increased 13 times. GDP size 12 times. Foreign exchange reserves 36 times. Export earnings 5 times. Annual remittance inflow 6 times. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased 5 times. Purchasing power of an agricultural labourer increased 3 times. Wages of workers increased 9 times.

Poverty rate reduced from 41.51 percent to 18.7 percent. Extreme poverty rate reduced 5 times. Drinking water increased from 55 percent to 98.8 percent. Sanitary latrines increased from 43.28 percent to 97.32 percent. Infant mortality rate decreased from 84 to 21 in per thousand. Maternal mortality rate decreased from 360 to 156 in per lakh. The average life expectancy is 72.8 years.

Power generation capacity increased 8 times. Electricity consumption rate increased from 28 percent to 100 percent. Literacy rate increased to 76.8 percent. Technical education increased 22 times. Food grain production 4 times.

We have built Padma Bridge with domestic funds. We launched metro rail in Dhaka, constructed elevated expressway and inaugurated subway operations. We set up the country's first nuclear power plant at Rooppur.

The third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has been inaugurated. We have constructed South Asia's first underground road - 'Bangabandhu Tunnel' in Chittagong. Dhaka-Cox's Bazar rail route has been established by constructing iconic railway station in Cox's Bazar. 'Bangabandhu Satellite-1' has been launched.

In any economic index, the economy of Bangladesh has excelled by increasing manifold in 2023 as compared to 2009. In 2009, the GDP was only $102 billion. In 2023, the GDP has crossed $ 450 billion.

During the Awami League government, the total amount of bank loans increased more than 7 times. As of June 2009, there were bad loans of Taka 22,000 crore; Which is 10.5 percent of the total loan. At the end of September 2023, there were bad loans of Taka 1 lakh 55 thousand crore; Which is 9.9 percent of the total disbursed loans.

Those who criticize - it is unfortunate that they do not present the correct information to the nation. It is their character to mislead people with false information against the country. It seems that they get frustrated when they see the socio-economic development of the people of Bangladesh.

Dear Countrymen,
On December 27, I presented the election manifesto of Bangladesh Awami League before you. I explained in detail in what condition we found the country, and how much we have been able to implement to improve your living standard.

By sustaining the development trend of the country, so that you can have a better life, we have explained what we will do in the next 5 years if we are elected by your vote.

Today I have come to you to seek your vote for "boat" symbol. We want another chance to make this development sustainable, to improve your standard of life, to build our beloved motherland Bangladesh a hunger-poverty-free developed Smart Sonar Bangla.

The aim of the Awami League government is to improve your living standard by ensuring food security by increasing production, reducing poverty, providing permanent homes and livelihoods for landless and homeless families, educating our children and youth in time-befitting education system, improving health services further, creating massive employment opportunities through domestic and foreign investment in 100 economic zones, continuing providing technical and computer training in every upazila as we have created the opportunity, finding new workplaces in different countries of the world for exporting skilled manpower, ensuring civic amenities for rural people, improve roads and highways and taking measures to make sustainable electricity, drinking water and sanitation facilities we have taken.

If we are elected by your valuable votes and can form the government once again, we will get the opportunity to improve your living standard by implementing the programmes we have taken.