RAMSHEEL IGopslganj). June 5 Awami League chief MkM* Hasina today said the ousted BNP government had degraded Bangladesh as a nation of beggars and feared Ilie economy would be ruined tf •he party is voted back to power reports UNB.

Addressing a number of public meeungs and wayside rallies in four southern dis lnets she said some 5,000 in dustnes had been closed down while dozens of farmers and workers killed during the five-year rule of the BNP

They are telling now a tale of development. but in reality, the country has become a market of Indian goods she said urging people to vote for the Awami League to make the country self-reliant and free it from the vicious cycle of poverty

Hasina. who is contesting the next election for Kotalipara-Tungipara seat, said the Awami League would en sure balanced development of

ail parts of the country. "We II serve the people, we won t serve the party interest, as the BNP did during its rule

On the second leg o( her three-day electioneering tour of southern part of the coun try. Hasina today addressed nearly two-dozen meetings in Barisal Madaripur Gopalganj and Farldpur districts

The Awami League chief visited some remotest parts of this region Her journey was frequently interrupted by en (husiasiic people, particularly women, who stood wayside Io see her. Slogan chanting people were running with her motorcade as she waived to them and sometimes they halted her motorcade to talk to her

Thousands of people thronged the meeting venues. A heart rendering scene was created at Ramsheel union college ground in Kotalipara thana when Hasina said she had none who can campaign for her as she had lost her father, mother and brothers.

During her day-long trip, she addressed rallies at Gaurnadl bus stand. Ajalljhara College ground. Paisarhat. Hat Gopalpur. Mostafapur. Tekerhat. Bhanga. Madhukhali. Boalmari. Alfadanga. Farldpur. Nagarkanda and also a number of wayside meetings.

Party candidates who spoke during the tour were: Abul Hasnat Abdullah (Bakerganj-1). rAbul Hossain (Madaripur-

Shahjahan Khan (Madaripur-2). Dr Kazi Abu Yusuf (Faridpur-5), Sirajul Islam (Modhukhali-Boalmari). Lt Col (retd) Farook Khan. (Kashiani). Mosharaff Hossain (Farldpur) and 'Syed Chowdhury (Nagarkanda).

Kasina who is staying at Tungipara tonight will visit some constituencies of Bagerhat and Khulna tomorrow (Thursday).