Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the people of the country spontaneously gave their verdict in favour of Awami League’s manifesto in the December-30 election to free the country from terrorism, militancy, drugs, corruption, hunger and poverty, and ensure peace and development, reports the UNB.

She also said her government will devote itself to the overall balanced development of the country keeping in mind that the people of the country gave them a great honour in the election.

‘The people of the country gave their ultimate verdict in favour of our election manifesto. To keep the honour of this spontaneous mandate, we’ll always develop the country in a balanced way for the welfare of the people,’ she said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while speaking at a victory rally at historical Suhrawardy Udyan.

The ruling Awami League organised the rally to celebrate the party’s landslide victory in the general election.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that the verdict that the people gave in favour of Awami League is against terrorism, militancy, narcotics and corruption. ’I’ll ask the public representatives who have been elected to keep in mind that fulfilling the expectations of the people is our responsibility,’ she said.

Mentioning that it is hard to achieve the victory but much harder to serve the people keeping that victory intact, she said, ‘We’ve been entrusted with that harder task. We’ve to perform that responsibility wholeheartedly. I want to remind you all,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also ruling AL chief, said the people of the country gave their mandate in favour of peace and development as they want so. ‘They want Bangladesh to advance towards prosperity. The verdict is for making Bangladesh a hunger -and poverty -free country,’ she said, adding that the people gave their mandate to continue the journey towards the light from the darkness.

‘They gave their verdict to build a modern and knowledge-based Bangladesh,’ she said.

The Prime Minister noted that the people want to build the country with the Liberation War spirit.’ There’ll be no room on the soil of Bangladesh for the anti-liberation forces, war criminals, corrupt elements, militants and drug addicts. Bangladesh will be built with the Liberation War spirit.’

AL advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu, MP, and Tofail Ahmed, MP, AL presidium members Matia Chowdhury, MP, and Mohammad Nasim, MP, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, AL joint secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, AL organising secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Awami League central working committee member Mirza Azam, MP, Dhaka North City AL general secretary Sadek Khan, MP, Dhaka South City unit general secretary Shahe Alam Murad and Jubo League chairman Omar Faruq Chowdhury also spoke at the rally.

The AL general secretary read out a citation for Sheikh Hasina at the rally.

From around 10am, people in their thousands with banners, festoons and placards gathered at the rally venue chanting slogans and singing songs.

Law enforcers were deployed in large numbers in and around the venue as heightened security measures.