Vote for 'Boat', give AL another chance to serve: PM Hasina tells Rangpur rally

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday repeated her call to the people to vote for 'boat' – the election symbol of her ruling Awami League –and give the party another chance to serve the country.

"By casting your votes in favour of 'boat', please give the Awami League another chance to serve you again. I'm ready to sacrifice my life for your betterment," she told a grand rally here amid cheers and thunderous slogans.

The rally, organised by Rangpur City and District Awami League at Rangpur Zila School ground, turned into a human sea as tens of thousands of AL leaders, activists and enthusiastic people filled the ground and its adjoining 10-km area.

Speaking from a large boat-shaped stage Hasina, also the president of Awami League, said only when the boat wins the country gets development.

"It brings changes in the condition for farmers, it provides electricity to every houses, it advances the country," she said.

Hasina said that she had lost her father, mother, brothers and all, and now people of Bangladesh her family.

"If necessary like my father I will lay down my life to change the fate of the people of Bangladesh," she vowed.

She asked the banner-waving and slogan-chanting crowd: "Will you cast your votes for boat? Please tell me."

The crowd raised their hands chanting "Yes" and the PM thanked them.

The prime minister declared that the government will implement the Teesta Master Plan. But she did not elaborate on this plan.

She also said that Rangpur Sugar Mills which is closed for a long time will be opened and the government has taken initiative regarding this.

"We will hand over this mill to the private sector so that this could be opened for production," she said.

Briefly describing various development programmes for the Rangpur region, the PM said that the prime task of her government is to change the fate of the people of the country and develop their status.

"I can say firmly this region there will be no more famine in this region and we are developing Rangpur division like that way," she said.

The Awami League chief said that there is a vested quarter in the country which always plays with the fate of the people.

"By killing the Father of the Nation, that play had been started and after that grabbing of the power and the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy started," she said.

She said that after a long way of struggle and movement the Awami League has returned democracy in the country.

"People now can cast their votes peacefully," she said.

In this connection, sheikh Hasina said that the government has introduced voter list with picture and transparent ballot box and taken steps to ensure that people can exercise their voting rights peacefully.

"This has been done as we need to change the fate of the people of this country," she said.

In his speech Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that games will be played in the roads.

"We will face them (opposition BNP) on the roads, we are on the roads and in the elections," he said.

He also mentioned that Awami League will not run away from the country as its base is deep rooted in the soil of Bangladesh.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Rangpur district Awami League Convener AKM Sayadat Hossain Bokul, Awami League Treasure HN Ashequr Rahman, Awami Organising Secretary and Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan and Awami League Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap also spoke at the rally.