Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of ruling Bangladesh Awami League, on Sunday directed her party leaders to take preparations for the upcoming 12th National Parliamentary election.
Mentioning that the next election will be held as per the constitution under the present government, the Awami League president also directed her party leaders and activists to work only for the party nominated candidates forgetting all the misunderstanding and internal feuds.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina clearly conveyed her message to the AL's leaders and activists as well as to the people of the country while speaking at the party's special extended meeting at her official residence Ganobhaban in capital Dhaka.
In reply to her directives, all the participating leaders also promised to follow the directives of their party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Although around 5,000 leaders took part in the meeting, main participants at the meeting were the leaders from the party's grassroot level.
According to sources in the Awami League, with this special extended meeting, the ruling party has formally started its final preparations for the next national elections expected to be held in the last week of the month of December this year.
The last special meeting of the party was held in 2017 just before the 11th Parliamentary election in 2018.
According to sources, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, members of the national committee of AL, its central executive committee members and advisory council members, presidents and general secretaries of all the cities, districts, municipalities, upazilas and thana committees, lawmakers elected from the party, chairmen of Zilla Parishads and Upazila Parishad and mayors elected from the AL and central presidents and general secretaries of the all associate and affiliated bodies, among others, were also present at the meeting.
The sources said that at the beginning of the meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina delivered an introductory speech. Later a total of 20 leaders of different units spoke before Sheikh Hasina spoke describing the party’s situation in the grassroot level. Later, Awami League chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave her concluding speech.
At her concluding speech, the Prime Minister directed her party leaders to take full preparations for the next elections.
In this regard, she asked them to highlight the development activities of the government to the people in their respective areas.
She also asked the party leaders to remain alert against the conspiracies and fight against rumours, false propaganda and sabotage attempts by BNP, Jamaat and vested other quarters.
The Prime Minister also asked the party leaders not to be afraid of movement against the government and by some foreigners, who are trying to destroy the democratic system and hand over the state power to the unconstitutional forces.
The meeting sources said that the Awami League president also instructed the party leaders to strengthen the party through intensified activities on the field so that opposition parties and vested quarters could not mislead or misguide the people of the country.
The party leaders also told the grassroot leaders that the party will start holding of meetings at the divisions, districts and at other strategic areas ahead of the national elections where Sheikh Hasina herself will travel and attend.
The Awami League advisory council member Habibur Rahman Siraji, who was one of the participants in the meeting, said a total of 20 leaders from different organizstional units spoke before Sheikh Hasina.
He said that Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the party leaders to remain alert against conspiracy.
Zahirul Islam Khan, a joint secretary of Gazipur Awami League, said, “Prime Minister has asked us to highlight the government’s development activities to the people of the country.”
Quoting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Gazipur Awami League leader said that the election will be held on time and as per the constitution. She asked all of us to work together for the party’s victory like in the past.”
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader in his speech welcomed the participants while Abdus Sobhan Golap, Publicity and Publication Secretary of AL, and Syed Abdul Awal Shamim, a deputy publicity secretary of the party, coordinated the meeting.