Rangpur: Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the people of Rangpur region to cast their votes for ‘Boat’ to complete the unfinished projects taken for the development of the northern region.

‘For the overall development of this region, we’ve taken so many projects… we’ve taken steps so that every road of this area is developed…we’ve to complete those works and for that we need your votes for Boat,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing an election rally at Taraganj Government Degree College ground.  Taraganj Upazila unit of Awami League arranged the rally with its president Atiar Rahman in the chair, reports the UNB.

Introducing local AL candidate (Rangpur-2) Abul Kalam Md Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury, she urged all to cast their votes for Awami League to give it another chance to serve them.

‘Please, vote for our candidates so that we can work for you,’ she said.

Recalling the miserable days when Rangpur was infamous for Manga and famine, the Awami League chief said the situation has changed here when her party formed the government in 2009 after the 2008 election.

After 2009, she mentioned, there was no Manga in the country. ‘There was no Manga and famine here and scarcity of foods as food production is going well here… we’ve managed to ensure food for all,’ she said.

Hasina promised that not a single person will be left without home and all will get medical treatment if AL is voted to power again. ‘The government has ensured free textbooks for the students up to secondary level in addition to introducing scholarships and stipends and sending stipend money through mobile phones.’

Referring to power generation, Hasina said the government has raised the power production to a significant level. ‘We’ve been able to do all this as you had voted for us.’

The Prime Minister mentioned that the government is constructing mosque-cum-Islamic cultural centres in all upazilas across the country.  ‘My aim in my life is the only one – to keep you all in a good condition.’

The government has introduced training programmes on various vocations for the development of the youth. ‘With these trainings, we’re making them competent so that they could earn their own livelihood,’ she said.

Hasina said the government has introduced cards for farmers so that they could get their subsidy easily. ‘We’ve ensured fertilizers, seeds, irrigation for agricultural production as well as ensured the fair price for their produces,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said every inch of cultivable land of the country will be utilised so that the food security of the country is never endangered, while the Manga never stages a comeback.

‘We’re taking the country towards prosperity,’ she added.

AL joint general secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Jubo League President Omor Faruk Chowdhury, among others, spoke on the occasion.