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Accelerate ongoing socio-economic dev forgetting differences: President
SANGSAD BHABAN, Jan 9, 2020 – (BSS) – President M Abdul Hamid today urged all, irrespective of political affiliations, religion, caste, and creed to accelerate the ongoing democratic process and socio-economic development of the country forgetting the political-ideological-organizational differences.
“I urge all to forge unity forgetting all sorts of political-ideological-organizational differences . . . Accelerate country’s ongoing democratic process and socio-economic development,” the President said while addressing the first session of 2020 which is also the sixth one of the 11th Parliament.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury chaired the first session, also the Winter Session of the Jatiya Sangsad. Leader of the House Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Begum Rowshan Ershad and lawmakers of both treasury and opposition benches were also present during the President’s speech.
The head of the state said the Bangalee nation needs to forge unwavering unity to build exploitation free “Sonar Bangla” earlier envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by uprooting corruption, terrorism, drug abuse and militancy from the society.
“We have never-ending debts to the martyrs of 1971 . . . Let us redeem our debts to the millions of martyrs by expediting country’s democratic process and socio-economic development,” he opined.
Terming the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) as the centre-point of people’s hopes and aspirations, the President said no peace and progress can ever get a permanent shape without forging national unity.
President Hamid called upon the treasury and opposition benches to jointly play due role in the parliament to fulfill the expectations of mass people.
“The treasury bench and simultaneously opposition will have to play constructive role to ensure transparency, accountability, tolerance, human rights and rule of law, and to materialize the dream and aspiration of the nation,” he added.
Abdul Hamid categorically said political parties and people irrespective of caste and professions must reach a consensus to ensure regular practice of democracy, rules of law and continuous socio-economic advancement of Bangladesh.
“Despite obstacles, impediments and hostilities, the government is making utmost efforts to ensure the participation of the people from the grassroots level to the centre in consolidation of good governance, practice of democracy and development activities,” he added.
In his 194-page speech, the President highlighted Sheikh Hasina government’s activities and successes in different areas, including economy, trade and commerce, agriculture, power, foreign relations, tourism, education, health, good governance, women and children development, information and communication technology (ICT sports and youth development, rural development, expatriates’ welfare, development of foreign relations, science and technology and public administration.
Referring to formation of new government of the 11th parliament amid a free, fair and neutral election on 30 December 2018 with the participation of all political parties, the President said the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was formed for the fourth term winning the absolute majority in the election riding on the land-slide mandate given by the people.
In continuity of the previous alliance government, the present government under the firm leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been working tirelessly to develop Bangladesh into a mid-income country by 2021 and a developed and prosperous country by 2041, he added.
“This ceaseless endeavor on the part of the government has paid huge dividend and Bangladesh has already fulfilled all criteria for her graduation to a developing country. Bangladesh is now internationally recognized as the ‘Role Model of development’,” the President mentioned.
He hoped that the multidimensional initiatives undertaken by the government in various areas would be further strengthened and expedited in days to come,
President Hamid said the government has been pursuing its all-out efforts to consolidate and uphold the rule of law in the country as the Anti-corruption Commission has been strengthened further to establish good governance while the Bangabandhu murder case verdicts delivered and the persons involved in the war-crimes and crimes against humanity were executed.
“The ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy exercised by the government against corruption, gambling, narcotics, militancy, extremism and communalism has achieved massive successes which has been acclaimed globally, for which congenial atmosphere is prevailing in the public life,” he mentioned.
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