Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina Friday called upon the leaders and activists of Jubo League to take the country forward for prosperity, being imbued with patriotism and dutifulness towards the country and its people.“I urge the youth folk that it is their duty to march the country ahead toward development and prosperity the people of the country are now getting hope afresh to live a beautiful and dignified life due to the massive development carried out by the Awami League government. To take the efforts forward further, the youths are the most important stakeholders and they can build the country,” she said.
The premier was addressing a youth grand rally as the chief guest marking the 50th founding anniversary of the Awami Jubo League, the youth wing of the ruling AL, at the historic Suhrawardi Udyan. The venue turned into a human see as the Jubo League leaders and activists turned up in thousands since morning with colourful festoons, placards, national and party flags, portraits and pictures of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani. People were seen in thousands in the open places including the Ramna Park and roads surrounding the venue.
Referring to the remarks made by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that he would build the war-ravaged country using its soil and population, the Prime Minister said, “It can be done if there is patriotism and dutifulness toward the country and its people and we have proved it.” Taking part in person in the first formal rally since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she asked the Jubo League leaders and activists to work in unison to materialise the dream of Bangabandhu to build the country as a developed and prosperous one and thus give the people a improved and beautiful life being imbued with his (Bangabandhu’s) ideal.
The Prime Minister reminded the Jubo League leaders and activists that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established the organisation one year after the Liberation, on November 11, 1972, to build a war-ravaged country. Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, senior AL leaders and former Jubo League Chairmen, Amir Hossain Amu, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, among others, spoke on the occasion. Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash presided over the grand rally while Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil moderated it.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh, former Jubo League General Secretaries Mirza Azam and Harunuru Rashid were present on the dais, among others. Senior AL leaders, central, district and city Jubo League leaders and activists and eminent cultural personalities were present at the meeting. On her arrival at the venue, the Prime Minister was received with flowers by the Chairman and General Secretary of the Jubo League. The Prime Minister inaugurated the golden jubilee anniversary grand rally of the Jubo League by releasing pigeons and balloons.
She was later given a crest and two separate paintings of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and uttorio (stole). The Prime Minister also unveiled the cover of a special publication and opened the formal logo and website of the Jubo League marking its 50th anniversary. A one-minute silence was observed in respect to the memory of the martyrs of August 15, 1975 and August 21 in 2004 alongside martyrs of all the democratic and progressive movements at the grand rally. The anniversary programme started with a colourful cultural programme, where the party leaders and activists were seen waving small national and party flags.
Sheikh Hasina said the world might be suffering from famine and food crisis as the entire world has been rattled with the economic meltdown stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter sanctions. The Prime Minister asked the Jubo League men to go to their native villages and take measures to bring all the lands, including abandoned ones, under cultivation so that Bangladesh never has to face any famine. She reminded all again not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated to cut dependency on imports as the prices of goods have increased manifold across the globe due to the war. The Prime Minister also asked the youths, particularly the Jubo League men, to work for building a corruption- militancy-and terrorism-free Bangladesh alongside preparing them as worthy citizens of the country with the knowledge of science and technology to compete the world.
In this connection, she said her government has been working tirelessly to create numerous scopes for the youths as they are the main driving force for the country’s development. The premier said they are establishing 100 economic zones across the country mainly to generate employment for the youths and save the arable land stopping indiscriminate industrialisation, adding that they are also setting up high-tech parks and incubation centres to create scopes for the youths. Describing briefly various measures taken by her government, the Prime Minister said her government has established Karmasangsthan Bank and Probashi Kallyan Bank and raised start up so the youths can be entrepreneurs after taking loans from those organisations and can provide jobs to others instead of running after jobs.
She said her government has opened various organisations including banks, insurances, mobile phones, television channels and radios in the private sector aimed at generating employment jobs for the youths. The AL president said the economy of Bangladesh is still strong enough although many apprehended that the country will face the fate of Sri Lanka. “Many people wanted the situation of Bangladesh to be like Sri Lanka. But, it did not happen and thus ashes fell on their faces and InshaAllah, it will not happen as the economy of Bangladesh is strong enough,” she said. Sheikh Hasina added that a massive development has taken place across the country in the last 14 years since her government assumed power in 2009 and none would be able to stop the pace of development.
“Bangladesh has turned into a changed country due to huge development in the last 14 years of the AL government. None can neglect Bangladesh in the international arena as the country is marching ahead confronting all the hurdles,” she said. The Prime Minister said her government’s topmost priority is to make the country’s economy stronger and vibrant and they are tirelessly working on it. She added: “We’ve been able to raise the per capita income to 2,824 US dollars.” Referring to the Tk 64,000 crore budget placed by the last BNP government, she said that her government has given over Tk 678,000 crore budget in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
She questioned: “How could we place such a big budget unless there was no progress?” The Prime Minister sharply criticised the BNP leaders as they talked about corruption and money laundering as their leaders Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman were sentenced in corruption cases, including Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases and money laundering cases. Tarique was sentenced for life term in the August 21, 2004, grenade attack case and was sentenced in the 10 truck arms haul case, she said.
“Does it suit the BNP leaders to criticise the Awami League as their leader (Tarique Rahman) is accused in killing, money laundering and illegal arm smuggling cases?” she said. Pointing finger at BNP leader Khaleda Zia, the premier said if any country is run by a person who passed class-VIII but failed to pass matriculation exam, the country never makes progress. About the reserve, she said the reserve of foreign currency was only 2.6 billion US dollars when the AL government assumed power, for the first time, it increased to 48 billion dollars during the Covid-19 period. But, the government has to use the foreign reserve in purchasing capital machinery, food and Covid-19 vaccines and invested 8 billion US dollars in various sectors as part of the move to make maximum use of reserve.
Loans have been given to purchase planes for Bangladesh Biman and dredge the Payra Port to increase its capability and they would refund the loan with two percent interest and thus the country’s money will go to its own treasury, she said. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh had to take the loan from foreign banks if the loans were not given from the reserve and refund the money in dollars with interest. She said her government has utilised the reserve money for the welfare of the country and its people.
