DHAKA, Feb 9, 2020 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today sought enhanced media focus on development to infuse momentum to the country’s progress, highlighting particularly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 10 initiatives and her government’s other development programmes.
“The Prime Minster’s 10 Initiatives and other development programmes are transforming Bangladesh into a welfare state,” he said, opening a two-day training workshop for Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) district correspondents at Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) in the capital.
The minister said Bangladesh emerged as a nation with dignity before the globe with indicators showing it was far ahead of several other and advanced and growing economies including India in terms of social and human development.
“The country is going ahead with the Premier’s 10 initiatives, with Amar
Bari Amar Khamar Prokolpo being the premier one, and some mega projects,” he said.
The state-run national news agency’s Infotainment service and Amar Bari Amar Khamar Prokolpo of Rural Development and Co-operatives Division (RDCD) organized the event titled “Sheikh Hasina’s 10 initiatives and Development Journalism”.
BSS Managing Director and Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad chaired the
inauguration of the workshop, addressed as well by Dhaka University’s former vice chancellor and communicology expert Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Information secretary Kamrun Nahar and RDCD secretary Md Rezaul Ahsan.
Amar Bari Amar Khamar Prokolpo director Akbar Hossain explained the outline of the project background and its progress saying it was the first of the 10 initiatives by now drawing huge feedback.
PIB director general Zafar Wazed, BSS managing editor Anisur Rahman and chief reporter Tareq Al Naser and senior newsmen of the agency were present in the function while special correspondent Mahfuza Jesmin conducted it.
Hasan said in the past several centuries the globe witnessed three
industrial revolutions following innovations of steam engine, electricity and personal computer while until the third revolution Bangladesh or this part of the world lagged behind.
But, he said, Bangladesh managed to keep pace with the fourth industrial
revolution waging the “Digital Bangladesh” campaign.
The minister, however, simultaneously laid emphasis on building a humane society alongside infrastructure and financial developments and urged media to play a role so “the people do not become self-seeking and rather think about the others around and society”.
“We want to build a society with humanitarian qualities along with
infrastructure development. For this, our leader (Sheikh Hasina) took a
number of development programmes to build the nation as a social welfare state,” he said.
The minister said Bangladesh was now moving ahead indomitably to fulfill the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh has already graduated to a middle-income country from the least developing one, said Hasan, adding that the country has gained remarkable progress in many socioeconomic indexes, including human development index, and achieved GDP growth higher than other countries in the last 11 years.
He said the government has achieved a huge success in education sector. “Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been boosting this sector with various programmes, including distribution of free books since 2010.
Besides, the government is distributing stipends among the mothers of 1.40 crore students through mobile numbers, a unique endeavour in the world, he added.
He said about 40 percent people were under the coverage of power before the AL government assumed office in 2009. Now, about 95 percent people of the country are under the coverage of power, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
The minister hoped that cent percent people of Bangladesh will be brought under electricity coverage within the Mujib Year.
Hasan said Bangladesh is now a role model before the world for empowering women. “The countrymen didn’t think, only 10 years ago, that a woman will discharge her duties as a police super. It has been possible only for the outstanding leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he added.
The minister said today the Digital Bangladesh is not a dream, but a reality.
He urged the journalists of BSS to project the development of the government before the countrymen so that they could know about the success.
Professor Arefin said there is no alternative to authenticity. “Every journalist should have written authentic report and this is the main responsibility of a reporter,” he added.
Kamrun Nahar said journalists are the watchdog and they create a bridge between the government and the people. The reporters have focused different development works of the government through their reporting, she added.
The info secretary hoped that the training would help the participants in building themselves as a good reporter.
The BSS chief editor asked the participants to use their learning from the workshop while discharging their professional duties, particularly coinciding with the coming Mujib Year.
“The countdown for the Mujib Year is underway . . . we now have a huge task to deliver,” Azad said.
A total of 24 reporters of BSS from three divisions joined the training.