<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday warned if opposition BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami return to power they will destroy the country.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Bangladesh must be established as a developing nation. That is possible if only the Awami League remains in power. But those who illegally grabbed power and the terrorist parties like BNP and Jamaat who don’t believe in the spirit of the liberation will destroy this country," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina, also the ruling Awami League president, made the remarks after paying homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at his portrait at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 this morning on the occasion of the party’s 74th founding anniversary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highlighting the country’s development success in different sectors under her government, she said if Awami League stays in power this country will be more developed and prosperous.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We will develop a smart Bangladesh, a smart population, a smart economy by 2041 and the country will move forward,” she stated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM said her Awami League government has ensured food to the people, provided electricity to every house, illuminated every house with the light of education, reached healthcare service to their doorsteps up to grassroots level, improved the communication system through infrastructural development and ensured socio-economic advancement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said today Digital Bangladesh has been built and Wifi connection installed up to grassroots level and the people now have technology and mobile phones in their hands.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM Hasina said during the 2009-2023 the country’s poverty rate declined to 18 percent from 41 percent, while extreme poverty rate dropped to 5 percent from 25 percent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The literacy rate has increased, maternal mortality rate decreased, child mortality rate dropped, the average life expectancy is up, she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Bangladesh has become known as a role model for development throughout the world today by constructing the Padma Bridge with its own financing as part of infrastructure development. Today, Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country,” she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Noting that Bangladesh is progressing in every sector including agriculture, science and health, the PM vowed to establish the country as a happy, prosperous Sonar Bangla, retaining the dignity gained for development and following the ideology of&nbsp; Bangabandhu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Awami League is the only party which thinks for the welfare of the people," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Turning to her party leaders and activists, the AL president said, "Let us pledge to change the fate of the people of Bangladesh and build the country as a Sonar Bangla (golden Bangla) as dreamt by the father of the nation."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh Awami League was founded on June 23 in 1949.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After laying the wreath, the prime minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina, flanked by senior party leaders, also paid tribute to Bangabandhu by placing another wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation on behalf of her party.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">AL chief Sheikh Hasina along with AL general secretary Obaidul Quader inaugurated the day's programme by hoisting the national and party flags and releasing pigeons and balloons. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>