<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today said people’s power is the strength of her party while it was accountable to the people alone.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"People's power is the strength of Awami League. Awami League has no master other than the people. We are only accountable to the people,” she told a special extended meeting of the party.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina said Awami League only works for the countrymen’s welfare in line with its electoral commitment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“How much we have been able to do and what we will do in future; we tell the people alone, not to anyone else,” she told the meeting held at the premier’s official Ganabhaban residence during her introductory speech.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I want everyone to work together keeping this in mind.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">AL central working committee and advisory council members, party MPs, presidents and general secretaries of district, municipal and upazila units, metropolitan cities, district and upazila parishad chairmen, mayors, presidents and general secretaries of AL associate organisations were present in the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The number of attendees was around 5,000.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina, however, directed the AL leaders and activists to highlight the government achievements in the last 14 and a half years before the people at grassroots.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Simultaneously, she asked them to strengthen the party ahead of the upcoming elections saying they would have to earn the trust and confidence of the masses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Party official said Awami League calls such extended meetings months ahead of every general elections and a nearly identical meeting was held on June 23, 2017 ahead of the 2018 parliamentary polls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister said Bangladesh is now attaining the status of a "developing nation" by the United Nations as Awami League is in power and it has worked with a long plan for it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mentioning that Bangladesh will begin its journey as a developing nation in 2026, she said, "I would like to know from the people of the country that whether they want Bangladesh to move forward with the status of a developing country”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She also directed the AL leaders and activities to ask people about the journey of the developing nation of Bangladesh, as they (the people) are the owners of the votes.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"If they want Bangladesh to go ahead with the status of a developing nation and to be established, then they should vote for Awami League's electoral symbol boat," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"And it (implementation of a developing nation) will be possible if AL is voted to power, and no one else can do it," she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina said AL is working to change the fate of people of all professions, including blacksmiths, potters (Kumar), weavers, and fishermen, adding, "We are committed to working for everyone."&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">AL has worked for every person, the premier said, adding, "No one else has ever thought or acted for people before".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She as well asked her party leaders and activists to convey these messages to the people and strengthen the organization at the same time.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We will build the Golden Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said. BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>