Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government has been trying its best to keep the country's economy vibrant  despite the world is going through a global economic recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.

"We're building Bangladesh with the ideal of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We have been able to transform Bangladesh into a developing country. One day this Bangladesh will be built as a developed and prosperous country," she said.

She was addressing a discussion virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital commemorating the death of her former political adviser Dr SA Malek.

Bangabandhu Parishad organised the discussion at its Kalabagan office in the capital.

The Prime Minister recalled the contribution of Dr SA Malek to spread the ideology of Bangabandhu and the Liberation War spirit in a turbulent period after assassination of the Father of the Nation with most of his family members on August 15 in 1975.

"Dr SA Malek is one of them who played a key role to put forth the ideology of Bangabandhu before the people," she said, adding that Dr Malek had played a great role in making the people familiar with the term of "Second Revolution" given by the Father of the Nation.

Sheikh Hasina, also President of Bangladesh Awami League, said she never thought that she would be the president of the party (Awami League) although she did politics from her school life.

"But, I had to take charge of the Awami League as the party made me its president in my absence through the council of 1981," she said.

Dr Malek and Mohammad Hanif played the most significant role in electing her as president of the Awami League while they made public opinion and took it to the party forum, she said.

The Prime Minister said she even scolded Dr SA Malek for insisting her to be the president of the Awami League time and again.

 Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor (VC) and Acting President of the Bangabandhu Parishad Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique presided over the function.

Senior journalist and Bangabandhu Parishad Presidium Member Ajit Kumar Sarker presented a keynote paper titled "Dr SA Malek: Courage Personified and Shaped by Bangabandhu's Ideals" at the function.

Presidium Members Dhaka University VC Professor Dr Md. Akhtaruzzaman and former VC of Rajshahi University Prof Dr Md Abdul Khalek and son of Dr SA Malek and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University's physician Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun spoke, among others, at the discussion.

Describing Dr Malek as politically conscious, Sheikh Hasina said that Malek had a role in each of the country's democratic and progressive movements.

Dr Malek had a good hand in writing and he spread the ideology of Bangabandhu to the countrymen through his writing, the Premier said, adding: "Those are now great assets of all."

Recalling the contribution of Dr Malek in the Liberation War, she said, "He (Dr Malek) fought with great bravery in the battlefield during the War of Liberation in 1971 by taking firearms."  

The Prime Minister said Dr Malek was elected as a member of the parliament in 1973 election from Faridpur-1 (Goalondo-Rajbari) constituency.

She further said that Dr Malek did not join the meeting of killer Khandoker Mostaque and refrained other lawmakers from attending the meeting after the 1975 political changeover.

Dr Malek was familiar to her from childhood and she called him Malek Bhai, she continued.

She said Dr Malek cleaned the roads and spread bleaching powder with his own hands after the 1998 devastating flood situation started getting better.

To this end, she said, "Dr Malek was a political leader, but he had no ego. He led a simple life and spent his money for the welfare of the people."  

Sheikh Hasina said Dr Malek played due role as her political adviser after she appointed him in the post immediately after coming to power in 1996.

She prayed for eternal peace of Dr Malek's departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to his bereaved family.

The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu Parishad was formed aimed at spreading the ideology of the Father of the Nation. In this connection, she recalled the contribution of Dr Matin Chowdhury and others to form the organisation.

The Prime Minister vowed to always stand by the Bangabandhu Parishad.