'I'm ready to give up party post if new leadership comes,' says PM

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she will not hold the post of party chief if a single councillor doesn't want her.

"I will not hold the post of party president if a single councillor says he doesn't want me. I put this condition on the day when I was announced as party president in absence of me. I will accept it gladly," she said.

The Prime Minister made the remark in response to a question of a journalist while addressing a press conference to explain her 18-day visits to the United Kingdom and the United States at her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital on Thursday (October 6).

Awami League's national council is scheduled to be held in December next.

When a journalist asked whether there would be any surprise at the party council, the prime minister asked to know what was the surprise about. In reply, the journalist said 'surprise of leadership.'

Then the prime minister said, "It's true that  a long time has passed. Certainly, I want to see new leadership in the party. Councillors decide the leadership of the party."

Sheikh Hasina also said, "Bangladesh has turned into a developing nation because we have been staying in power continuously. My targets were celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of Nation in 2020 and golden jubilee of the Bangladesh's independence in 2021. Bangladesh was designated as a developing country in 2021. Now, I'm ready to leave the party."

It may be mentioned that the Prime Minister returned home on October 4 ending her 18-day visit to the UK and US.

Earlier, she went to the UK on September 15 on an state visit and attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. She also joined a reception hosted by King Charles III.

The Prime Minister left London for New York on September 19. During her stay in the United States, Sheikh Hasina addressed the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in Bangla, and joined different programmes.