DHAKA, Dec 21, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the city dwellers to vote for Awami League candidates in the December 30 general election to keep the party in power for building a modern capital.
“We have multifaceted plans to build Dhaka as a scenic city livable for every citizen and ensure all civic amenities, development of commuting system and its beauty,” she said.
“If elected we will construct elevated ring-road around Dhaka and the survey is going on for underground metro rail to make the city free from traffic congestion,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina was addressing her first electioneering meeting in the city organized by Dhaka North unit of Awami League on Gulshan Youth Club ground in support of Awami League candidates in eight parliamentary constituencies of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad under Dhaka North City Corporation.
Sheikh Hasina said her government resolved the acute crisis of water and electricity in the capital and the country as well after being elected in the 2008 election.
All roads in the Dhaka City were also in dilapidated condition when her party took office in 2009, Sheikh Hasina said adding that the city was also reeling on the problems of mugging, terrorism and militancy.
The prime minister said the Awami League government after taking office got over the problems one after another. Now the city is free from loadshedding and water crisis, she said.
“The foremost goal of our government is to change the lots of the people of Bangladesh, not making fortunes for ours,” Sheikh Hasina said.
Once Dhaka Medical College and Hospital was the only hospital for the citizens, she said. The Awami League government has established hospitals in every nook and corners of the Dhaka City to facilitate for the citizens modern healthcare services, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has already taken project to build multi-storied buildings for low and middle incoming group people and slum dwellers aimed at ending their miserable life. They would be able to live in those flats on daily, weekly or monthly rent basis, she continued.
The prime minister her government has established eleven new schools and colleges in Dhaka city. Many schools were nationalized improving their infrastructures, she added.
Pointing to the construction of many flyovers in the city the prime minister said works on metro rail and elevated expressway have been launched. Elevated ring road would also be constructed around Dhaka City, she added.
Dhaka City has been divided into two parts and all unions of Gulshan, Banani and part of Dhaka North were brought under Dhaka North City Corporation to allow the citizens enjoying all civic facilities, she said.
With Dhaka North City Unit Awami League President AKM Rahmat Ullah in the chair, the mammoth meeting was addressed, among others, by Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mayor of Dhaka South Sayeed Khokan, Awami League backed mayor candidate of DNCC Atiqul Islam, central party leader Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Jubo League Chairman Omar Faruk and central leaders of the party Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Bahauddin Nasim and Abdur Rahman.
Sheikh Hasina introduced the candidates of eight constituencies under DNCC. They are- AKM Rahmat Ullah (Dhaka 11), Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal (Dhaka 12), Sadek Khan (Dhaka 13), Aslamul Haq (Dhaka 14), Kamal Ahmed Majumder (Dhaka 15), Elias Mollah (Dhaka 16) and Akbar Hossain Pathan (Dhaka 17) and Sahara Khatun (Dhaka 18).
Sheikh Hasina said Dhaka city should be made more attractive as many foreign and local people travel the capital city in many purposes, particularly for employment.
In this regard, the prime minister pointed out the development of Hatirjheel in the heart of Dhaka and digging of a 100-feet wide canal along 300-feet road from Kuril.
Power distribution system and power substations in the capital would be constructed underground to protect the power supply from storm, cyclone or any natural disaster, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said people achieved independence and right to speak in mother tongue by giving vote to ‘boat’ (election symbol of Awami League). The country and live of every people is moving towards prosperity as they have given vote to Awami League in 2008 and 2014, she said.
Every citizen is enjoying benefits of the socioeconomic development of the country made by the government and they are pursuing a better life than ever before, she said.
“Earlier, a day labour used to buy 3/4 kg of rice with his daily income. Now they can buy 8/10 kg rice as their purchase capacity has been improved,” she said, adding that Bangladesh is no more a nation of beggars. The country is now self-reliant in many areas including food production.
Sheikh Hasina said the pace of development should be continued and militancy, terrorism and drug should be dealt strictly.
She recalled militant attack at Holy Artisan Hotel in Gulshan which claimed lives of many foreign nationals. After the incident, she said, the Awami League government with an iron hand has uprooted militancy from the country.
The prime minister said her government has taken plan to set up 100 special economic zones in the country where more than 10.25 million people would get their jobs side by side with boosting the country’s economy.
“Awami League didn’t open Hawa Bhaban to indulge in corruption, and Awami League didn’t eat up the orphans’ money,” she said and described BNP as the ‘symbol of corruption’ and Awami League as the ‘icon of development’.
Khaleda Zia is now in jail on charges of misappropriation of orphans’ money. However, Awami League didn’t lodge the case against her, rather those whom she favoured most sued her on that charges, the prime minister said.