Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the people to keep the country free from BNP and Jamaat to continue the ongoing development spree of Bangladesh.

"BNP is not a political party rather a terrorist one, while Jamaat is a party of war criminals. The country has to be kept away from both BNP and Jamaat because of keeping the ongoing development of Bangladesh running," she said.
 
The AL chief made the call while addressing a public rally organised by AL as part of its campaign of 12th National Parliamentary Election in six districts.
 
She also opined that the development trend will be continued only when there is a free and fair election, saying that "in the election the people will elect their preferred candidate through casting their vote, and the development of the country will be kept rolling."
 
In this regard, the premier made her appeal to the country's people to uphold the democratic trend of Bangladesh alongside the development spree in the election.
 
As a developing nation, Bangladesh has to be built as a developed and prosperous country further, she added.
 
She joined the rally virtually at Public Library Filed in Kushtia, Wazir Ali School and College Field in Jhenaidah, Satkhira Government High School in Satkhira, Zilla Stadium in Netrokona, and Sheikh Russell Stadium in Rangamati district as well as Bamna and Patharghata upazilas in Barguna districts from Bangladesh Awami League Office.
 
Referring to her government's announcement of turning Bangladesh into a smart country by 2041, the Prime Minister said that in the smart Bangladesh, each citizen will be educated with modern-scientific and technology-based education.
 
In addition, the population will be smart, the government will be smart, the economy will be smart and all trade and business will be smart there, she said, adding "We will go ahead keeping pace with the world with high head."
 
Reiterating her determination not to allow anyone to play ducks and drakes with the fate of people of Bangladesh, the AL President said that Bangladesh is not secured in the hands of terrorist BNP and war criminal Jamaat as they don't believe in Bangladesh's independence and spirit of the War of Liberation.
 
"So, it is my call to all of you (people) to continue the ongoing development trend of Bangladesh keeping the country away from the hands of BNP and Jamaat," she added.

The AL President said that she wants the election to be held in a peaceful manner, and people of the country will exercise their rights to vote properly.

"We want to secure democracy, because if democracy prevails, the country advances rapidly and we've proved that," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that her party wants to continue the spree of the development wave.
 
"BNP doesn't come in the election and in the name of resisting election, they have unleashed arson terrorism like 2013 and 2014. They are out now on the ground with their dangerous faces," she said.

In this connection, she referred to recent incidents in the railway sector.

The AL chief questioned the leadership of BNP as both Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman are convicted in various cases.

Tarique Rahman is living well in London playing gambling, she said, adding that he is giving orders from there and BNP leaders and activists are killing people in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina went on "I want to tell you (leaders of activists of BNP) that you will be the sharer of sin if you burn people with fire."

Mentioning that although Khaleda Zia is very sick, her son Tarique Rahman never came to see her, she said "If he has so much courage to come in the country, people of Bangladesh will take their revenge for killing people."

Talking about the election to be held on January 7, the AL chief said that from AL it has opened the election for the aspirants from her party.

"The reason behind it is that we want people's participation in that election, and cast their votes peacefully," she said.

Sheikh Hasina asked all candidates including the party nominated candidates and the independent candidates to go to the doors of the voters. "To whom the people of the country will cast their votes will be the Member of Parliament," she said.

As the Awami League has remained in power since 2009, Sheikh Hasina said, the country has changed a lot in the last 15 years.
 
"We've attained recognition as a developing nation, we have to keep that and advance further," she said.
Senior party leaders were present at Awami League office in Dhaka while the Awami League nominated candidates and other leaders from the six districts.

On December 20, Sheikh Hasina kicked off the election campaign of AL formally from Sylhet following the tradition and Ziarat of shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA).

Besides, she held election rallies in five districts --Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Natore, Pabna and Khagracchari - through a virtual platform from Awami League Office at Tejgaon in the city on December 21.