Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all to remain united so that evil forces like BNP-Jamaat clique cannot grab power as they will undermine the country's heritage, culture and existence.

“All have to be united so that the evil forces cannot capture power ,” she said.

The prime minister said this while exchanging Bangla Nababarsha 1425 greetings with leaders and workers of the ruling party at her official residence Gono Bhaban.

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Pahela Baishakh celebrated

She recalled the miserable days of 1993 when Awami League with some cultural organisations decided to celebrate the Bengali New Year 1400 through various programmes.

"BNP was in power at that time, they refused to give permission to hold the celebration rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. But taking Poet Sufia Kamal with us we defied all the obstacles and celebrated the Bengali 1400," she said.

She mentioned that all can understand why BNP had the objection to the Bengali 1400 celebrations.

Citing some lines from Rabindranath Tagore's famous poem '1400' and national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's another poem in reply of the '1400', Hasina said the party that was in power in 1993 failed to understand the meanings of these two poems of the great poets.

"Had Rabindranath been alive, he would have got hurt at this," she said.

Hasina said this is the only occasion of the country that is celebrated by all irrespective of their religion, race and cast. This occasion is also celebrated by government, and non-government organisations and urban and rural people.

"For that reason we introduced a special festival bonus for Pahela Baishakh from last year," he said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, reiterated her determination to build a hunger- and poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. "We have a firm belief that we can achieve that goal," she said.

At the outset of her speech, the PM extended her Nababarsha greetings to the country's people and expatriates Bangladeshis.

Earlier, she was greeted with bouquets by the central leaders of Bangladesh Awami League and its associate bodies.

On the occasion, the guests were entertained with traditional Bangalee snacks like moa, murki, muroli, kadma, zilapi and sweetmeats.