ZCZC
BSS-26
PM-ADDRESS-NATION-2-LAST DHAKA
The premier said her government initiated a campaign for education sector reforms particularly for modernization of the madrasa education for expansion of religious education.
“Madrasa education is being modernized to make it productive. Dawra-e-Hadith of Quami Madrasa has been recognized equivalent to ‘master degree’ while 560 mosque cum Islamic Cultural Centres are being established across the country,” she said.
The prime minister made a fervent call to the youth folks to be imbued with the ideals of language movement, mass upsurge of 1969, War of Liberation also recalling the sacrifices of Asad-Matiur and Noor Hossain to materialize the dream of independence.
“Youths are our future leaders. I have full confidence in the creativeness, courage and strength of the youths. They can nourish the spirit of the Golden Bangladesh,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said responding to Bangabandhu’s call people of Bangladesh had given vote for Awami League in 1970 polls.
In 2018, they gave Awami League another chance to serve them by casting their vote for Awami League, she said.
The prime minister said she has nothing to gain personally from politics. She is doing politics with the prime objective of materializing the dream of Bangabandhu and welfare of the people. She has devoted her present for the future of posterity, she said.
“My prime objective is to build a nation where the next generation will get a better life . . . we are following the footprint of Bangabandhu who has set an example of sacrifice in politics,” the premier said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government would use the power, merit and creativity of youths for nation building activities so that they could take forward the country towards development and prosperity.
About the formation of the new cabinet comprising freshers and elders the prime minister said, “We are determined to reach our goal though combined efforts of new and old leaders and will try heart and soul to reciprocate to the gesture of voters”.
Sheikh Hasina said the victory of Awami League on December 30 election was very much anticipated as several.
Many local and foreign surveys including the London based Economic Intelligence Unit and Research and Development Center ahead of the polls had predicted it.
She attributed her party’s victory to country’s overall socioeconomic development over the last ten years.
Sheikh Hasina said expansion of electricity coverage, allowances for poor, elderly persons and widows, education facilities of the children of poor families, hike of the wages of day labourers, salary of civil servants, agricultural incentives and implementation of many mega projects including Padma Bridge and Dhaka Metro Rail were some of the key areas that contributed to the election victory.
Sheikh Hasina identified BNP’s election strategy for their colossal defeat in the polls.
“BNP nominated more than one candidate in most of the constituencies to make brisk business with the nomination. Finally, they fielded weak candidate in most of the areas,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said people were not certain who would be BNP’s prime minister if the party was voted to power.
BSS/AKH/MMA/AR/1957hrs