Drive against corruption, militancy to continue: Prime Minister
The premier yesterday addressed the nation on the first anniversary of assuming power as the prime minister for the fourth time
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the Anti-Corruption Commission to continue its drive against corruption to ensure that no one can usurp what rightfully belongs to the people of the country. She also said drive against militancy will continue across the country.
Sheikh Hasina said this yesterday while she was addressing the nation on the first anniversary of assuming power as the prime minister for the fourth time.
She has asked the Anti-Corruption Commission to bring the corrupt people under trial no matter how influential they are.
She also said the government is working to raise awareness against graft as it can help reduce corruption.
The prime minister said that drives against militancy, terrorism, and drug will continue too. The imams and religious leaders across the country are being trained so that nobody can mislead the youth of the country by misinterpreting sacred texts.
She termed 2020 as a significant year as it is the birth centennial of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The year-long programme will be inaugurated on March 17.
She hoped the programme will help instil new life force among the citizen, which will ultimately pave the way to realise a "Sonar Bangla (Golden Bangladesh)".
Since her party formed government in 2009 after securing a landslide victory in the 9th National parliamentary Election, she said, Bangladesh has experienced unprecedented achievements in terms of GDP growth and social index. In poverty elimination, woman empowerment, child and mother mortality rate reduction, eliminating gender discrimination, development in education and life expectancy, Bangladesh has not only exceeded some neighbouring countries but many developed countries also.
In the manifesto before the 2008 national election, the government declared the vision of 2021 – to make Bangladesh a middle-income country. In 2019, the per capita income reached $1,909 which was only $543 in fiscal year 2005-06.
In the 2005-06 financial year, the poverty rate was 41.5 percent which stands at 20.5 percent at present. According to the World Economic Forum, 73.5 percent of people were below the poverty line in 2010. In 2018, it dropped to 10.4 percent.
Last year, the GDP growth rate was 8.15 percent and inflation were below six percent. At the end of the year. Apart from the price hike of imported onions, price of all the daily essentials was stable.
She said Bangladesh has changed a lot in the last ten years. The quality of life and purchasing power have increased. People in our country forgot to dream, but now, they dream of a better life, and the government is working to realise their dreams.
Bangladesh has been self-reliant in producing food, fish and meat. The country is now fourth in producing rice and third in producing fish and vegetables. The price of agricultural machinery has been lowered in several phases. The government is providing agricultural machinery by providing subsidy.
Sheikh Hasina said the main target of the government is to create employment for the youth. The government has targeted to create 1.5 crore employment in the current term.
The work to set up more than 100 economic zones is also going on. So far, 15 economic zones have been established.
She said, many foreign investors have become interested in investing in those economic zones.
The construction of more than two dozen high-tech parks and IT villages is under process.
To create skilled manpower, vocational and technical institutes are being constructed.
To create employment in the freelance sector, the government has provided various types of training and, so far more than six lakh freelancers have successfully started their career.
Quoting the principle of Bangabandhu's foreign policy – friendship with all, enmity with none – the prime minister said the government has always prioritised to maintain a good relationship with neighbouring countries.
She said, "The government has tried to solve the bilateral problems by a discussion which is not our weakness, rather it is our strategy. That is why, though Myanmar has provoked us we have not stepped into their trap."
To solve the Rohingya issue the government has approached the international court.
In conclusion, the prime minister said the people of this country are heroes. Our independence was the result of the sacrifice of 30 lakh martyrs. This nation cannot lag behind. Bangladesh is moving fast on the highway of development.
The prime minister urged all to take oath on the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for making a Bangladesh which is secular, free of illiteracy and hunger.