PM pledges to build a beautiful future for children

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday vowed to ensure a beautiful future for the country's children. “We want to build a beautiful future for the children. I’ve also formulated long-term plans to this end,” she said.

The Premier made this firm conviction while addressing a programme titled "Tungipara: Hridoye Pitribhumi" at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara in Gopalganj on the occasion of 102nd birth anniversary of Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day-2022.

In collaboration with the Women and Children Affairs Ministry, the National Implementation Committee for Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Birth Centenary Celebration, arranged the programme, featuring discussion and cultural soiree.

Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh today attained the status of a developing country. “We’ll definitely make Bangladesh the developed and prosperous 'Sonar Bangla'. It’s our commitment,” she added. In this perspective, she highlighted her government’s Vision-2041 and Delta Plan-2100 and said “I’ve prepared a plan over how this Bangladesh would develop till 2100.”

Noting that her government’s plans focus on making the future of children brightened and decent, the head of government said, “Our goal is that our children would remain safe and get a beautiful life.” This year, the national children’s day is being celebrated with the theme of “Bangabandhur Janmodiner Ongikar, Sokol Shishur Soman Odhikar” (Equal Rights for all children, Commitment of Bangbandhu’s birthday).

Earlier, the event began with the National Anthem followed by the theme song of "Mujib Borsha". An audio-visual presentation titled "Tungipara: Hridoye Pitribhumi (Father's Land in Heart)" was screened.

Awami League leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Muhammad Faruk Khan, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, chief coordinator of the national implementation committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Children’s representative Sheikh Munia Islam spoke at the function.

Bangabandu’s grandsons --Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser and Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq—were present, alongside others. Besides, cabinet members, members of parliament and AL central leaders, Gopalganj Zila Parishad chairman and also AL’s district unit president Chowdhury Emdadul Haque were present.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said though there had been a reign of killers, war criminals, Al-Badr and Razakars (collaborators of Pakistani forces) in the country after the assassination of her family members, she returned home to fulfill dream of his father and change the fate of the people of Bangladesh.

She added “(I returned home) to ensure that the children would not live with the pain of losing family members like us, rather they would have a nice and improved life."   Mentioning that the Father of the Nation used to love children very much, the Premier said her government formed in 1996 declared the 17th March as the Children’s Day.

Bangabandhu used to like playing with children she said, adding “When he (Bangabandhu) was playing with children, he was seemed like a child.” She continued that it is unfortunate that even children were not spared in the 1975 carnage. Perhaps such things had not occurred in the Karbala tragedy where children and women had not been killed, she said.

She went on saying “But in the soil of Bengal, my father had to lose life in the hands of Bengalis, for whom he had sacrificed his life, faced incarceration for years and established the dignity of a nation for them. It is the biggest pain."

The head of government said Bangabandhu had ensured rights of children in the Constitution, formulated the children’s rights law and established care and protection centres for children in the war-ravaged country after the Liberation War.

Following the footsteps of Bangabandhu, her government, coming to power in 1996, had taken various steps for the welfare of the children, including establishment of schools in every area and measures to protect them from the social menace like terrorism and militancy, she said.

“Coming to power again through the 2008 election, we’ve done a lot further for the welfare of children,” said Sheikh Hasina highlighting various measures and laws taken for the children during her regime.

She said the Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies will arrange programmes in Tungipara on separate days from March 18 to 25 to mark the Mujib Year. The separate dates were fixed for AL, Chhatra League, Jubo League, Swecchasebak League, Sramik League, Mahila Awami League, Jubo Mahila League and others, she added.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the six-day Mujib Borsha Folk Fair to be held at Government Sheikh Mujibur Rahman College premises there on March 21-26 next.