Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said her party – Bangladesh Awami League (AL) – is the strongest, the largest and the most credible political party in the country at the moment.

“Today Awami League is the strongest and biggest organisation in Bangladesh. It's a reality. The most acceptable party among the people is the Awami League,” she said.

The AL president made the remarks when her party leaders and activists came to Gonobhaban to greet her on her historic Homecoming Day.

Recalling her being elected as the party president in absence before her return to the country on 17 May 1981, the PM said she had no experience to lead a big party like AL at that time. It was definitely a big responsibility for her to lead AL, she added.

She said the party has overcome conspiracies on many occasions. "Conspiracies are hatched every time and we overcome them. We have to keep it up,” she added.

Recollecting the Homecoming Day in 1981, when she returned home ending six years of forced exile, the AL president said she had been welcomed by hundreds of thousands of people on that day despite the raging of storms and rains.

She said that upon her return she found a country run by war criminals and the people who killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members.

The prime minister said she returned to the country despite knowing she might have been killed as she had trust in the countrymen and leaders and activists of Awami League.

“I’d returned home with a conviction as the desire with which the Father of the Nation made the country independent was not fulfilled [by then]. Rather the condition of the people had deteriorated,” she said.

She said now her government has been able to realise at least to some extent the desire and the aspirations of Bangabandhu for which he made the country independent.

“All my strength and courage I’ve got from my parents,” said Hasina.

Talking about AL’s role in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, she said, “We’ve been able to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic as we have a well-organised political party and its associate bodies.”

She said no other political party except the Awami League stood beside the people during the period of Covid-19 pandemic and many AL leaders and workers sacrificed their lives in doing so.

"No other organisation except Awami League does make this sacrifice for the people of Bangladesh," said Sheikh Hasina, who has been steering the Awami League since 1981.

The PM said her government has been able to change the country. “But we’ve to progress further in future,” she added.

Earlier in the morning, AL leaders and activists led by its General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader greeted their party chief with flowers at Gonobhaban, marking her 44th Homecoming Day.

Leaders and activists of the associate and allied bodies of the Awami League were also present on the occasion.