Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today called upon the people to cast their votes for ‘boat’ in the forthcoming national election to give her party the opportunity to serve them again.

“It’s my call to you (the country’s people) to give us the opportunity to serve you again by casting your vote for boat (AL’s electoral symbol),” she said, addressing a grand rally as chief guest, organised by Khulna City and District Awami League at Khulna Circuit House ground.

Sheikh Hasina said ‘boat’ has given independence, boat has given development, Bangladesh has attained the status of developing nation as you have voted for boat, and this vote will give the smart Bangladesh of 2041.”

In the smart Bangladesh, she said, population of the country will be smart and they will have smart government, smart economy and smart society. “Bangladesh will be smart, developed, prosperous, modern knowledge-based Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she added.

To attain this, the premier laid emphasis on the continuation of democratic trend what the country has been witnessing since 2009. “As the continuation of democratic trend is prevailing in the country, the development of Bangladesh is visible,” she added.

Terming BNP as the “headless party”, the AL president said they just want to create an unnatural situation in the country to foil the election.

She added, “They know that they don’t have any leadership. They’re just a party without any head. One is absconding and another is in the jail. That party doesn’t want any election in the country, rather they just want to create an unnatural situation in the country.”

“BNP-Jamaat knows that in 2008 elections they got only 30 seats,” she continued. She mentioned that next election will be held on time and all have to remain vigilant during the election time.