Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday sought cooperation from her party’s grassroots leaders and activists in carrying out the government’s ongoing drive against drugs effectively.

‘Now the drive continues against drugs... I want your cooperation against drug as well. You together with all will conduct drives against drugs and convince all (against drugs) as you were united against militancy,’ she said while addressing a party meeting at her official residence Ganabhaban, reports the UNB.

Awami League arranged the special extended meeting with the participation of union-level AL presidents and general secretaries, and union parishad chairmen from Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barishal divisions.

Hasina, also the Awami League President, said drug destroys not only a life but also a family.

The government has been able to curb militancy with an iron hand, she said adding that this has been possible as the public awareness was created against the menace due to coordinated efforts of the very grassroots people, including guardians, teachers, Imams and religious leaders, and the administration, police and law enforcement agencies.

Hasina also asked the UP chairmen to provide services to rural people properly and reach government financial assistances and social safety allowances to the homeless, poor and disadvantaged people fully.

‘These services will have to be ensured for people because we want to decentralise power,’ she said adding that the government take opinions from district and upazila levels in preparing the budget to address the local problems and demands.

‘My request is to all the Union Parishad chairmen and our union-level leaders and activists so that a single person doesn’t remain homeless in Bangladesh. We’re providing financial assistance to those who have lands but unable to make homes. We want the financial assistance to reach them fully so that they can build homes,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said the government approved the project to make homes for homeless people in the country.

She urged the UP chairmen to make sure that one person does not get two types of allowances under social safety net programmes.

Hasina said the government wants to prepare a database of beneficiaries of different social security programmes.

She urged the grassroots leaders and activists to publicise the government’s development activities and successes among people so that they can vote for Boat, the election symbol of Awami League.

‘I want you will to take the messages of our development activities to every village, every house and every family,’ she said asking them to remain united during the next general election.

Mentioning that the government has carried out massive development works in the communication system, she requested the chairman and the grassroots leaders to ensure the rural roads will be developed properly and corruption will not occur in the road development works.

Noting that huge money has been allocated for rural development in this budget, she urged the UP chairmen to develop their respective localities utilising every penny from the allocation.

She urged them to remain alert so that anti-liberation forces, war criminals and those who patronised the killers of the Father of the Nation and involved in corruption, drug abuse, violence and money laundering cannot come to power anymore.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader delivered the welcome speech, while AL Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap read out obituary references at the meeting.

Members of the AL Presidium and AL Central Working Committee and AL Advisory Council also attended the meeting.