<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the countrymen to give her party another chance in the next general election to help establish Bangladesh as a developing country, alerting them if the anti-liberation and corrupt&nbsp; elements come to power again they will destroy all the advancements.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“I am grateful to the people as they voted us to power time and again and give us scope to serve them. The next general election is knocking at the door. I wish that the people will give us another chance to establish Bangladesh as a developing nation as the country will start its journey as a complete developing nation. We have taken preparation to this end,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She was exchanging greetings with a cross section of people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr at her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital this morning.</div><div>“I’m really feel very happy to meet you on the holy day of Eid-ul-Fitr as you people are my near and dear ones and relatives of my soul,” she said, adding that she has got the love and affection of her parents and brothers after losing them on the dreadful night of August 15 in 1975.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has got recognition as a developing nation due to continuation of democratic process in the country and stability since 2009.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh, she said, has witnessed such a huge socio-economic advancement as the people voted the Awami League to power in 2008, 2014 and 2018 elections consecutively.</div><div><br></div><div>“I am expressing my gratitude to Allah and the people of Bangladesh for voting Awami League to power time and again and giving us to serve them,’’ she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said she loves the country and its people like a mother, adding that she has been working relentlessly to bring smiles on the faces of the distressed people by changing their fates, giving them a beautiful and improved life by ensuring all the basic needs as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister however urged the countrymen to remain alert against the war criminals, corrupts and grenade attackers as they are out to destroy the advancement of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>“The country and all of its advancement will be ruined if the anti-liberation elements, war criminals, killers, grenade attackers and corrupts are voted to power again. So, the countrymen should have to remain alert,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister hinted about involvement of the BNP-Jamaat clique in the recent fire incidents in different markets that include the Bangabazar and asked the authorities concerned to conduct a thorough investigation into the matters.</div><div><br></div><div>She also urged all the people including the business community to pay special attention to protect their houses and business establishments.</div><div><br></div><div>“Those who can burn people to death can do everything,” she cautioned.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>She reminded all that the Awami League is a servant of the people as it (AL government) always serves the people.</div><div><br></div><div>“I feel proud being a daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Premiership is nothing to me,” she said, adding that she consider power as a means of serving the people.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said this year's&nbsp; Eid journey was easy and peaceful due to massive infrastructure development that included roads, highways, bridges, especially the Padma Bridge.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;She welcomed the people who went to their native villages to share the joy of Eid with their near and dear ones, saying that people are now enjoying their Eid in villages in a pleasant way as&nbsp; her government has reached electricity every household.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister urged the people to maintain good relations with neighbours and stand by the poor and needy people.</div><div><br></div><div>She also asked her party men to stay beside the people in their needs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister reiterated her call to the countrymen to bring every inch of arable land across the country under cultivation so that the Russia-Ukraine war cannot create any crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have to grow food for ourselves and export the surplus food to other countries. We have already started exporting vegetables to other countries,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister first exchanged&nbsp; Eid greetings with the people of all strata of life that include her party leaders and workers and people of all classes and professions that include poets, litterateurs, writers, journalists, teachers and intellectuals.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, she exchanged Eid greetings with cabinet colleagues, judges, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, foreign diplomats, senior secretaries, secretaries and other civil and military officials with rank equivalent to secretaries.</div><div><br></div><div>The programme could not be held in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>