Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the country’s uplift has become visible as her Awami League-led government continues to stay in state power.

The PM also urged party leaders and workers to supplement the government’s efforts to improve the people’s lot, reports BSS.

“Since Awami League’s landslide victory in 2008 [general] elections, we have remained in government for three consecutive terms,” she said while addressing a joint meeting of the AL Central Working Committee and Advisory Council in Tungipara, Gopalganj this afternoon.

Hasina, who is also the Awami League president, said, “The country’s development is becoming visible and the people’s lot is being changed due to the continuation of our government.

“Every leader and worker of the party will have to move with the ideology of Father of the Nation [Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]. We’ll build a hunger-and-poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu Insha Allah,” she said.

The PM said her government is working tirelessly so that the people at the grassroots level and those who live in rural areas get the benefit of all achievements.

She said the main aim of the Awami League government is to change the luck of the countrymen, adding, “We’re working and will continue to do it to achieve the goal”.

“We’ve attained high growth rate and we’re in a strong position economically... we’ll continue our drives against terrorism, militancy and corruption,” the PM said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has drawn up elaborate programmes to celebrate the ‘Mujib Barsho’ nationally.

“We’ll celebrate Mujib Barsho from March 17, 2020 to March 17, 2021 and we’ve already started its countdown… we’ll also celebrate the golden jubilee of independence in 2021 with huge enthusiasm,” she said.

“Besides, other organisations and institutions will celebrate Bangabandhu’s birth centenary in a befitting manner.

“A huge enthusiasm prevails among all on the occasion of Mujib Barsho,” she added.

Paying tributes to Bangabandhu, the four national leaders, three million martyrs and two lakh mothers and sisters, Hasina said: “Our aim is to make meaningful the independence that was earned due to their sacrifice.”

The prime minister said over 82 percent people lived under the poverty level when Bangabandhu liberated the country. “But our Awami League government has been able to bring down the [poverty] rate to 20.5 per cent,” she said.

Hasina said the Father of the Nation liberated the country to improve the lot of the exploited and deprived people and that he also started the work to this end.

“But we’re unfortunate that Bangladesh was deviated from that ideology and spirit after the brutal killing of Bangabandhu,” she said.

The prime minister said the country restarted its journey towards development when the Awami League government assumed office after 21 long years. “It has been possible as we’re following the ideology of the Father of the Nation,” she said.

Earlier, the newly-elected AL Central Working Committee and Advisory Council, led by party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, paid rich tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

They paid homage by placing wreaths at the mazar (shrine) of the Father of the Nation in Tungipara this afternoon.

Hasina was the first to lay a wreath and stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of the country’s independence.

Later, Hasina along with members of the AL Central Working Committee and Advisory Council placed another wreath at the mazar.

They offered prayers and joined a munajat seeking eternal peace for Bangabandhu’s departed soul, before attending a milad mahfil there.

Prayers were also offered seeking continued peace, progress and prosperity of the nation as well as good health and long life of the prime minister.

Secretaries concerned and special assistants to the prime minister were present on the occasion.

The prime minister had arrived in Tungipara around 11:00am, Bangabandhu’s ancestral home, on an Air Force helicopter.

Upon reaching Tungipara Upazila Complex ground, she went straight to the mazar and recited the Quran and offered prayers there.

It was Sheikh Hasina’s first visit to Tungipara after being re-elected as the president of Bangladesh Awami League, one of the oldest political parties of the Indian subcontinent.

Sheikh Hasina was re-elected as the AL president for the ninth consecutive term, while Obaidul Quader was re-elected as the general secretary for the second straight time in the party’s 21st National Council held on December 20-21 last year.