Toronto, Canada: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh will become a failed state again if the anti-liberation forces return to power.

‘If the anti-liberation forces and patrons of killers return to power, the country will become a failed one again,’ she said while addressing a reception here on Sunday.

 Canada Awami League arranged the event at Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The Prime Minister said today Bangladesh is marching forward and the trend of this progress should continue. ‘The country can’t be developed unless there is continuation of the government.’

Talking about her party’s election manifesto, Sheikh Hasina said they did much more than what they wanted to do. ‘As Bangladesh is making progress, it now gets invitation to join the G7 Outreach Session.’

‘When our country makes progress, we get such invitations,’ the PM said adding that she also got invitations and joined G7 Outreach Session in 2001 and 2016, reports the UNB.

Hasina said her government is working aiming to ensure the development and welfare of the country’s people.

She said her government has placed a Tk 464,573-crore national budget for the 2018-19 fiscal, but once the budget size was only Tk 61,000 crore.

In the proposed budget, the size of the annual development programme (ADP) is Tk 173,000, which was only Tk 19,000 crore. Some 90 percent of ADP cost now comes from government funds, she added.

 In the past, the prices of essentials used to go up with the announcement of national budget. ‘But, now the prices remain under control as the present government has been able to bring down the inflation at 5.6 per cent.’

Now, she mentioned, the per capita income in Bangladesh has increased to US$ 1752.

Coming down heavily on BNP, the Prime Minister said they do not see any development of Bangladesh, but they enjoy the benefits of the development.

About BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, she was convicted in the court after the trial process continued for 10 years. ‘But, big lawyers failed to prove that Khaleda didn’t embezzle orphans’ money.’

‘A comfortable environment has been arranged for her in jail. I’ve no right to release Khaleda Zia from jail as it’s the jurisdiction of the court. Their (BNP’s) big lawyers should solve it moving to the court,’ Hasina said.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif also addressed the reception event presided over by Canada Awami League President Golam Mohammad Mahmud Miah.