Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the march forward of democracy in the country was disrupted after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.

The Prime Minister said this when a visiting six-member European Parliamentary delegation, led by Giuseppe Fernandino, met her at her official residence Ganobhaban in the evening.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said the delegation members were highly impressed knowing the history of Bangladesh and the family of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina said the country had been put under the military rule for a long time after 1975 when the military rulers misguided the young generation and provided them with arms and money.

She said Bangabandhu had a dream of turning Bangladesh into a hunger and poverty-free country.

‘The Father of the Nation throughout his life struggled for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh. We’ve been working relentlessly to materialise the dream of Bangabandhu,’ she told the delegation.

The delegation members highly praised Bangladesh’s impressive socioeconomic development particularly in women empowerment and wanted to know from her about the country’s success in this regard.

Hasina briefly described various measures taken by her government for the development and empowerment of women.

‘We’re providing stipends to students through mobile phones of their mothers, while 60 percent primary teachers are being recruited from among women,’ she said.

About terrorism, the Prime Minister said her government has contained this social menace with an iron hand.

Hasina said her government has involved the cross-section of people, including teachers, students, religious leaders, public representatives, to create awareness against terrorism.

The Prime Minister said her government works hard to fulfill the basic needs of people, including food, housing, clothes and medicare.

PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan and Awami League’s Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud were also present.