President Md Abdul Hamid has urged all political parties to participate in the next national election for the betterment of the country and its people.
"I think political parties should take part in polls. They should go to people for votes and participate in the election," he said.
The President made the call while addressing a mass-reception accorded to him in Itna in Kishoreganj on Tuesday, reports UNB.
The reception was arranged at Rastrapati Abdul Hamid Government College playground in Itna on the second day of five-day visit of the President to his home district.
Residents of Itna organised the programme as Abdul Hamid paid his first visit to Itna after taking oath of office as the country's President for the second consecutive term on April 24this year.
Referring to the next national election, the head of the state Hamid reiterated his request to all political parties of the country to nominate good candidates for the next general election in the greater interest of the country.
He called upon the voters to elect a person having good character, ideology and strict principle.
"Justify the candidates and vote those who will help develop your locality. You have to choose the government which will help the country to advance in upcoming days." Hamid added.
He repeatedly requested all voters to evaluate the previous governments and then take the right decision to choose their leaders.
The President, in his nearly 30-minute speech, highlighted different development activities of the haor regions including different infrastructural development of the government.
Recalling his election experience, President Hamid said, "I was elected a lawmaker 48 years back.And voters voted me eighth times for the Jatiya Sangsad. I have become the President twice. I'm really grateful to the people of this area."
Urging all concerned to take responsibility for maintaining roads, he said he has been working to ensure overall development of the haor areas as well as for the country and its people.
Regarding setting up export processing zone (EPZ) in the haor area, the President laid emphasis on the development of communication with other parts of the country first. He sought further cooperation of all people to ensure more development in this haor area which was once neglected.
Members of parliament engineer Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq (Kishoreganj-4), Afzal Hossain (Kishoreganj-5), Dilara Begum Asma, Kishoreganj Zila Parishad Chairman Advocate Zillur Rahman, Itna upazila chairman Chowdhury Quamrul Hasan, district Awami League president Quamrul Ahsan Shahjahan, and general secretary of upazila unit of AL Advocate Khalilur Rahman, among others, also spoke on the occasion with freedom fighter M Ismail Hossain in the chair.
Earlier, the President inaugurated works of nine development projects of Itna Upazila shortly after arriving in the upazila at 3:50 pm.