Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said no one should keep on holding one post for a long time although she is accepting the responsibility of Awami League president bestowed upon her.

‘I’ve been in the post of president for 35 years long, there’ll come a time when you’ll have to say me goodbye because one should not continue in one post, the new leadership has to be built,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this just after being elected as the president of the ruling Awami League for the eighth consecutive time in the triennial council of the party.

Vowing to discharge the responsibility properly, she said the responsibility of Awami League president is huge. ‘I’ll try my level best to carry out the big responsibility that you’ve bestowed upon me once again.’

Hasina, however, said it is hard to perform the responsibilities of Prime Minister and in the organisational post simultaneously. ‘This time you’ve given me, I’m accepting it,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina also said the next election will be held in 2019. ‘I never want AL being put into question in any election. I want AL to win the next election and serve the people of Bangladesh.’

Hasina mentioned that all the organisational activities of the ruling party will continue keeping the next election in mind. ‘We’ll continue our programmes for the uplift of the socioeconomic status of the country as per our election manifesto and I seek cooperation from you all,’ she said.

She again vowed to remove poverty from the country and asked the AL leaders and activists to prepare the list of extremely poor who are homeless and under distressed position.

‘In the meantime, we’ve reduced the poverty rate but we want to keep it at the zero level; I want all-out cooperation from you in performing my responsibility that you have given to me,’ she said.

Talking about the outgoing general secretary of the ruling party, she appreciated Syed Ashraful Islam for performing as general secretary of the party for two consecutive times.

‘He is like younger brother to me. As the child of a martyr family, he loves the country and the organisation from his heart and soul,’ she said.