Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina today asked her party leaders and activists to make sure that none including her party men would suffer against the backdrop of the Covid-19 outbreak and the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Make sure that not a single activist of mine and the countrymen would suffer," she told the party leaders and activists in a meeting.

She was exchanging views with leaders and activists of Tungipara and Kotalipra upazila Awami League, its front and associate bodies at Kotalipara Upazila AL office in Gopalganj district.

The Prime Minister said her government has been working tirelessly to transform Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous nation free from poverty and hunger as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She asked the Awami League leaders and activists to stand beside the people to pursue the government move that none will remain poor, homeless and hunger anymore.

"Each of the Awami League leaders and workers has to work for changing the mindset of doing only for oneself," she said.

The Premier reminded her party activists as well as the countrymen that the world is now going through a critical juncture due to the double blow of the ongoing Coronavirus and the Russia-Ukraine war and reiterated her call to all to show austerity in every sector particularly in using energy like electricity.

"Big countries such as America and England around the world are now suffering from food crisis. We're still in a good position and trying to be well. It requires help from all," she said.

The Prime Minister asked all to bring every inch of land across the country under cultivation to grow more food as Bangladesh never faces such crisis.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has built the Padma Bridge, given electricity to every house and is giving home to every landless and homeless people and ensuring food security for all aimed at continuing the march of Bangladesh towards prosperity.

Despite the fact, she said some people at home and abroad have been trying to oust the Awami League government.

She questioned: "What is the guilt of Sheikh Hasina's government? On what crimes, they want to dislodge the Awami League government?"

Describing the Awami League grassroots activists as the lifeline of her party, she said,  "The grassroots activists always take right decision and hold up the party."

She asked the party leaders to inquire about the wellbeing of every partyman and stand by them if required.

In this connection, the Premier recalled the inhuman torture on the leaders and activists of Awami League during the regimes of Zia, Khaleda, Ershad, Ayub and Yahiay Khan.

Earlier, the Prime Minister reached her ancestral home in Gopalganj's Tungipara for the first time crossing the Padma Bridge at 11:40 in the morning since its inauguration to traffic on June 25 last.

The Premier was accompanied by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed.

Sheikh Hasina later offered prayer at the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's mausoleum there seeking eternal peace of departed souls of the Father of the Nation and other martyrs of the August 15, 1975 massacre.

The Prime Minister earlier paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his mausoleum.

After laying the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the architect of the independence, who was brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the dreadful night of August 15, 1975 along with most of his family members.

On her way to Tungipara, Sheikh Hasina with her family members spent some time on the Padma Bridge and took rest for a while in Jajira point's service area.

The Premier reached Dhaka at 5:30 in the afternoon.

Sheikh Hasina, who first gave toll of the country's longest structure Padma Bride during its opening on June 25 last, also gave toll of the bridge today from and off to Dhaka.

Sheikh Hasina criticized the BNP and like-minded political parties who came to power to make their own fortunes and termed them as the "parties of eating".

Otherwise, she said the Awami League since its foundation has been working to give the people something instead of making their own fortune.

The Prime Minister said, "We know the country. The Father of the Nation did not form the party for the lust of his power and wealth rather to work for the welfare of the countrymen."

So, she said the leaders and workers of the Awami would follow the ideal of Bangabandhu and stand beside the people alongside standing on their own feet.

The Premier said that the Awami League is always powerful as a political party as it has trusted grassroots level activists and the power of the people is its main strength.

"The power of people is the main strength to me. Attacks have been carried out on my life time and again. But, Almighty Allah saved me to do something for the welfare of the country," she said.

That's why, she said her government had been able to construct the much-hyped Padma Bride by own funding and other development projects to ensure the country's overall development.

She said Bangladesh can face any disaster with collective efforts of all which it has proved by successfully tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and floods.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has administered the Covid-19 vaccine to the masses free of cost which many developed countries could not do.

Sheikh Helal Uddin, MP, Chief Whip Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton, MP, and Shahna Yasmin Shampa, wife of Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, MP, were present on the dais during the meeting.

Source: BSS