Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces a tough election next year, said on Monday that the country has undergone a significant change in the last few years and it will continue to tread the path of development and prosperity.

Hasina led Awami League has been in power in Bangladesh for the last 14 years. But the opposition is now regrouping itself ahead of the elections.

“We have to advance more as the developing country and turn it into a developed one. And we have formulated that plan, Hasina said at the reception held to honour the gallantry award winning freedom fighters of the armed forces and their heirs.

“We are trying tirelessly. Now at least we can say that the people of the world will not undermine Bangladeshis,” she said, adding that the country has already formulated Vision 2041 and Delta Plan 2100 for the future generations.

Last year, the 75 years old Hasina told her cabinet, “We’ve got established ourselves as a developing country. We’ve reached here overcoming so many hurdles both from home and abroad.”

“Bangladesh is now independent, and it’ll remain independent. We’ll build it as Golden Bangladesh of the Father of the Nation,” she said.

The Asian Development Bank in its recently published outlook has projected a 7.2 per cent growth for Bangladesh, which was once called as a basket case by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The country is also gearing up to exit the list of Least Developed Countries.

A peaceful and developing Bangladesh is critical for India as well as South Asia.

Also read: India must increase vigil as Bangladesh’s opposition parties target Hasina