Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has warned that anti-liberation forces must not be allowed to raise their heads again and ruin the country’s march towards prosperity.

‘We have been taking Bangladesh ahead towards prosperity. The advancement must go on. Stay alert so that none can push the country back and make it the country of Rajakars,’ she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing a reception accorded by the Bangladeshi diaspora in Germany at Hotel Burgerhaus Garching at Munich on Friday.

She also asked all to stay alert so that none can conspire against the fate of the people of Bangladesh.

She reiterated her commitment to build Bangladesh as a secular state where people of every faith would enjoy equal rights.

‘We will materialise the dream of the father of the nation to transform Bangladesh into a prosperous, developed and smart Sonar Bangladesh in the spirit of the Liberation War and secularism,’ she said.

The prime minister said that she was committed to reach the fruit of the Liberation War to every doorstep.

‘I never consider my needs, rather think what I can do for the betterment of the country and its people,’ she said.

PM Hasina said, ‘Awami League is the biggest strength of mine. We have been able to tackle various disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic as we have the party.’

Hasina said that she had always tried to do something for the masses.

‘Whenever I get chance I do work for the welfare of the people,’ she said.

The ruling party chief said that the people had faith and confidence in Awami League as they always found the party beside them in need.

Giving a brief description of the overall development of the country, she said that they had made huge socio-economic development of Bangladesh.

‘Our development is not only establishing mega establishments rather to make development at the grassroots,’ she said.

The prime minister termed BNP as the party of looters saying that it did nothing for the wellbeing of the people.

She came down heavily on the BNP as it did not take part in the 12th parliamentary election fearing defeat and instead torched vehicles and burned people to death.

She claimed that BNP did not take part in the election as they knew that people would not vote for them.

‘The party which was formed from the pockets of a military dictator always believes in agencies and they can do nothing without their help,’ she said.

She blamed BNP for destroying the electoral process by holding yes/no vote and presidential election.

‘BNP snatch away the voting rights of the people and make the election a farce through manipulations,’ she said.

But, the Awami League had returned the voting power to the people through long struggle, she said.

She said that the 12th parliamentary election held on January 7 was the most free, fair and credible election since 1975.

She said the people of the country particularly women cast votes independently in the last parliamentary polls.

‘If the Awami League was not voted to power this time, the massive development which had taken place in the last 15 years with the party in power since 2009, would have been ruined. The looters (BNP) would loot everything,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to expatriate Bangladeshis to send remittances through proper banking channels.

Mentioning that her government had been establishing 100 economic zones across the country, she asked the expatriate Bangladeshis to invest in the economic zones with foreign partners.

Foreign minister and Awami League joint general secretary Hasan Mahmud and local mayor of Munich spoke at the event while Bangladesh ambassador to Germany Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan moderated the programme.