Give AL another chance to serve

RANGPUR, Aug 2 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday repeated her call to the people to vote for 'boat' - the election symbol of her ruling Awami League -and give the party another chance to serve the country.
"By casting your votes in favour of 'boat', please give the Awami League another chance to serve you again. I'm ready to sacrifice my life for your betterment," she told a grand rally here amid cheers and thunderous slogans.
From the grand rally the Prime Minister inaugurated 27 development peojects and laid foundation stones of five others, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novotheatre, here in the district.
The rally, organised by Rangpur City and District Awami League at Rangpur Zila School ground, turned into a human sea as tens of thousands of AL leaders, activists and enthusiastic people filled the ground and its adjoining 10-km area.
Speaking from a large boat-shaped stage Hasina, also the president of Awami League, said only when the boat wins the country gets development.
"It brings changes in the condition for farmers, it provides electricity to every houses, it advances the country," she said.
Hasina said that she had lost her father, mother, brothers and all, and now people of Bangladesh her family.
"If necessary like my father I will lay down my life to change the fate of the people of Bangladesh," she vowed.
She asked the banner-waving and slogan-chanting crowd: "Will you cast your votes for boat? Please tell me."
The crowd raised their hands chanting "Yes" and the PM thanked them.
In his speech Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that games will be played in the roads.
"We will face them (opposition BNP) on the roads, we are on the roads and in the elections," he said.
He also mentioned that Awami League will not run away from the country as its base is deep rooted in the soil of Bangladesh.
The new projects will be implemented under different ministries and divisions and Rangpur City Corporation at a cost of over Tk 20.00 billion. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novotheatre is seen as an important one among these.
The 10-storey Novotheatre is being built on 10 acres of land at a cost of Tk 4.17 billion in Rangpur Upshohor around six kilometre away from the city.
Officials say this will help ensure more socio-economic upliftment of the locality.
Students will gain knowledge about the space science in the easiest way and would be encouraged to study science, they said.
The government has already built Banagabandhu Novotheatre in Dhaka while four others are being built in Barishal, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Khulna.
Work on the Novotheatre in Rajshahi has almost completed and likely to be oppened in one or two months.