Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government aimed to ensure the fairness of the upcoming elections to strengthen the democracy and intensify the development process as the Awami League’s youth front leaders called on her.

“It’s our motto to stage the upcoming polls in free, fair and neutral manner and I hope that other political parties will come to the elections,” she said as Bangladesh Awami Jubo League leaders and workers called on her at Gono Bhaban in Dhaka this morning on the occasion of the front’s 46th founding anniversary.

Sheikh Hasina said “the reality is unless a political party takes part in elections it loses its strength” and expected other political parties to join the elections through which the democracy would be strengthened further and country would be more developed”.

Jubo League Chairman Alhaj Omar Faruk Chowdhury presided over the function, while General Secretary Harun-or-Rashid also spoke after the leaders of the organization greeted the prime minister by presenting bouquets.

The prime minister said her government took many mega projects and spearheading a massive anti-poverty campaign by now reducing poverty rate to 21 percent from 41 percent and the development thrive should continue through Awami League’s reelection.

She said her government targeted to cut poverty rate by 4/5 percent further to call Bangladesh a poverty-free nation for which the country needed to reelect Awami League.

“If we don’t come to power none will implement these schemes,” she said.