Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. COURTESY
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday placed a proposal in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) to hold a special discussion on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence, pledging to take Bangladesh to a dignified position by building it as a developed and prosperous country.
“In this historic moment of observing the golden jubilee of the country’s independence, our commitment will be to take Bangladesh to a dignified position on the world stage by transforming it into a “Sonar Bangla” free from poverty and hunger, repression and discrimination, and a developed and prosperous country, overcoming all the challenges, as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said.
The Leader of the House moved the proposal under Section 147 of the Rules of Procedures in the 15th session of the 11th parliament.
At the beginning of the day's sitting, President Abdul Hamid gave a commemorative speech marking the golden jubilee of the country's independence. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury chaired the sitting.
In the proposal, the Prime Minister said, “The parliament opines that the golden jubilee celebration of the country’s independence in 2021is a glorious chapter in the national life of the Bangalees. Bangladesh is marching forward at irresistible speed. Bangladesh now appears as a “development miracle” in the whole world arena.”
She told the parliament that that the country’s independence was achieved following the path of the Language Movement from 1948 to 1952, six-point of 1966, mass uprising of 69 under the leadership of the all time best Bangalee and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his historic March 7 speech, March 25 genocide, declaration of the independence by Bangabandhu in the early hours of March 26, formation of the Mujibnagar government on April 17 and the sacrifice of 3 million of martyrs and 200,000 mothers and sisters.
The Prime Minister said that the final victory was achieved on December 16, 1971 with the surrender of the Pakistani army.
The Father of the Nation formulated the country’s constitution after returning to the country on January 10 in 1972 and he delivered a speech in Bangla in the United Nations on September 25 in 1974.
The Prime Minister also said that during adoption and implementation of various plans to rebuild the war-ravaged country, darkness descended on the national life on August 15, 1975 as the country’s president and Father of the Nation along with most of his family members were assassinated.
She added that the four national leaders were assassinated inside the prison, power was seized illegally and the constitution was shattered through military decree while democracy and the rule of law were ruined.
Returning home from exile on May 17 in 1981 as elected the President of the Awami League, she said, “I engaged myself in the struggle of restoring democracy and the rule of law alongside ensuring the people’s rights for vote and food.” After assuming office in 1996, Sheikh Hasina said that they had tried the assassins of Bangabandhu while the trial of the war criminals was initiated.
Bangladesh has attained the recognition of a developing country coming out of the least developed country (LDC) status through implementation of the “Vision 2021”, she added. The Prime Minister in her proposal said that “Digital Bangladesh” announced in 2008 is now a reality.
“Success has been achieved in every field of human resource development such as reduction of poverty, attainment of food self-sufficiency, 100 percent electrification across the country, construction of houses for nine lakh homeless people, social security activities, women's education and empowerment, skill in disaster management, student stipends and prevention of maternal and child mortality,” she continued.
Every economic index such as economic growth, remittance and reserve has witnessed robust growth while Bangladesh has ranked 41st in the world economy, she said.
The Prime Minister in her proposal said that the Delta Plan 2100 has been formulated to deal with the adverse effects of climate change.
She said the incentive package announced to overcome the crisis arising out of the Coronavirus pandemic has kept the country’s economy moving. The construction of metro rail, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Karnaphuli tunnel and the Padma Bridge by own finance have proved Bangladesh’s capability in the world, she opined. “Demarcation of maritime boundaries with India and Myanmar and launching of Bangabandhu satellite in space have added a unique milestone to the triumph of Bangladesh's success,” she said.
Mentioning that the center point of parliamentary democracy is the Jatiya Sangsad, Sheikh Hasina said that the parliament has been playing an effective role in fulfilling aspirations of the people by ensuring transparency and accountability of the government.
While taking part in the special discussion marking the Golden Jubilee of the country’s independence, Sheikh Hasina said, “In my proposal placed before the parliament (for special discussion) I have given a commitment for building “Sonar Bangla” free from poverty and hunger as envisioned by the Father of the Nation. Bangladesh will move across the globe keeping its head high.”
The Prime Minister said the nation is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence at a time when Bangladesh achieved the status of a developing country.
“We have to go ahead maintaining the status,” she said.
The Prime Minister said her government wants to build Bangladesh as a country having of the knowledge of modern technologies and training so that it could cope with the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has progressed in every sector and it has become one of the 41 strongest economies across the world as her government is doing everything in a planned way.
The Leader of the House said their development plans are mainly village centric so that the fruits of the advancement could reach the grassroots while her government has been working to ensure civic amenities to rural people.
She said that her government has formulated a perspective plan (2021-2041) to make Bangladesh a developed nation, adding that they have the Delta Plan-2100 and started its implementation to ensure a better and improved life for the generation after generation.
The Prime Minister said her target is to bring smiles on the faces of the countrymen as her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had dedicated her entire life for the betterment of the people.
The premier told parliament that the Father of the Nation had an expectation of changing the lot of the countrymen by ensuring all civic amenities and he turned the war-ravaged Bangladesh into a leased developed country (LDC) along with taking every measure to transform Bangladesh into a developed nation within only three and a half years.
Bangbagandhu had started working for the country’s overall development after taking short and long term plans and formulated all the acts and policies for transforming Bangladesh into a developed one, she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu was inhumanly killed along with most of his family members as the collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces could not accept the country’s huge development by the Bangabandhu’s government and failed to separate him (Bangabandhu) from the people after conducting propaganda at home and abroad.
She said that the country could have reached today’s position (status of a developing nation) in 10 years after the Liberation War had the Father of the Nation been alive.
The Prime Minister renewed her vow to bring 80 percent of the total population under the Covid-19 vaccination free of cost, saying that nine crore doses of the vaccines have already been administered and assured all that there would be no problem with vaccines.
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