Govt working to build a worthy future for children: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday reiterated her firm commitment to give a ‘bright future’ to the children by building Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous nation that would be free from hunger, poverty and illiteracy.
‘We have been working with a target to give children a bright future by building Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had dreamt of,’ she said.
The prime minister said this while addressing a children’s rally and cultural programme as the chief guest organised to mark the 99th birth anniversary of founder president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children’s Day on the Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex premises at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
‘We have to take steps to present our children with a healthy and peaceful life,’ she said urging everybody to give special attention to their children.
Expressing her commitment to serve the people until the last day of her life, she said that she had a desire to turn the country into a suitable abode for the next generation.
Highlighting the contributions of Sheikh Mujib, the prime minister said that he only got three and a half years after independence to rebuild the war ravaged country and shape Bangladesh as an independent nation.
‘Bangabandhu made primary education free for all and free up to secondary education for women,’ she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh would successfully celebrate the birth centenary of the founder president in 2020 and golden jubilee of the independence in 2021.
The government had already declared 2020-2021 as ‘Mujib Barsha’, she said.
Sheikh Hasina added, ‘Inshallah, we would be able to build Bangladesh as a hunger and poverty free country.’
The prime minister said that Bangladesh would go ahead with the ideals of the founder president who dreamt for a hunger and poverty free country as children of the present time would turn his dream into reality.
She urged the children to study attentively and take advantage of the academic facilities provided by the government to build themselves as worthy citizens.
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Gopalganj district administration jointly organised the rally for schoolchildren of different educational institutions in Tungipara, Sheikh Mujib’s birthplace.
Novelist and chairperson of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy Selina Hossain attended the function as the special guest.
Members of the cabinet, cabinet secretary, chiefs of three services, senior leaders of the Awami League, government officials, teachers of different educational institutions attended the function.
Lamia Shikder, a Class V student of Gopalganj Maleka Academy, presided over the function while Arafat Hossain, a Class IV student, gave the welcome address.
Secretary of the women and children affairs ministry Kamrun Nahar, divisional commissioner of Dhaka KM Ali Azam and Gopalganj deputy commissioner Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman Sarkar were present on the occasion.
Sheikh Hasina received a replica of brand logo of Gopalganj district from the deputy commissioner and unveiled the cover of a book on the letters written to Sheikh Mujib titled ‘Bangabandhuke Lekha Chithi.’
The best letter written to the founder president was read out by Class X student Suraiya Yasmin at the function.
A video titled ‘Amar Kotha Shono’ was screened on the occasion.
The prime minister also opened a book fair and visited a painting exhibition of the children on ‘Bangabandhu and Bangladesh’.
Later, the prime minister handed over sewing machines to two distressed women — Kona Begum of Tungipara upazila and Tanjila of Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj.
The prime minister also distributed prizes among the children who participated in literary and cultural competitions organised by the Gopalganj district administration to mark the 99th birth anniversary of the founder president and National Children’s Day.
She also took part in a photo session with the children and witnessed a cultural programme where the children performed.
Referring to UNESCO’s recognition of Mujib’s historic March 7 speech as a world documentary heritage, the prime minister said that the speech had been placed at a United Nations body as an invaluable document of the human civilisation, adding, ‘It’s a great and rare honour for the people of Bangladesh.’
Sheikh Hasina said that the military dictators banned playing of the speech after Mujib’s assassination in 1975. 
‘The leaders and workers of Awami League played the speech, ignoring all restrictions,’ she said, adding that no one could erase the history and suppress the truth.
Talking about Mujib’s visionary leadership, she said, ‘Bangabandhu enacted The Children Act in 1974 much before the United Nations formulated the act in 1989. It proves how visionary Bangabandhu was in his leadership.’
In his school life, she said that the founder president used to giveaway his books and personal belongings to help his poor friends and fellow schoolmates as he deeply felt their sufferings.
‘Bangabandhu dedicated his whole life for the cause of the people as he deeply loved them. He wanted to see Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous nation where people would not be oppressed, intimidated and deprived,’ she said.
Hasina also recalled the contributions of her mother Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, grandfather Sheikh Lutfur Rahman and grandmother Saira Khatun who helped Sheikh Mujib become the huge personality he is.
‘Bangabandhu loved children and always nurtured the expectation that every child would be a worthy citizen of the country,’ the prime minister said.
Highlighting the projects taken by her government for development of children’s education, the prime minister said that her government had taken many initiatives for their physical and cultural development.
Hasina said her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and she had to stay abroad for six months after the assassination of the founder president along with most of his family members on the night of August 15 in 1975.
‘After returning to the country, Sheikh Rehana and I did not find our father, mother, three brothers and their wives. We only found a number of graves at the Banani graveyard and the grave of our father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman besides our grandfather and grandmother,’ she continued.
‘Despite knowing I would have to face the same fate as Bangabandhu, I returned to the country to materialise his dream to make Bangladesh a developed and prosperous nation that is free from hunger and poverty,’ she mentioned.
‘Now the dreams of Bangabandhu are coming true as the county is progressing ahead under the leadership of the Awami League government,’ she said.

 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net