Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has attached utmost importance to education, research and scientific and technological studies to achieve the particular goals of country`s development."We have a target to make Bangladesh a middle income country by 2021 through eradicating poverty and a developed one by 2041. If we want to make it true we mostly need to increase the use of technology, boost up research and scientific practice in everyday life," she said.The Prime Minister said this while distributing Bangabandhu Fellowship, National Science and Technology (NST) Fellowship and research donations among the students and researchers for 2016-2017 sessions at a function as Osmani Memorial hall here today.Sheikh Hasina said her government has already given importance on studies on bio-technological science, medical science, environmental science, engineering and applied science, physical science and food production."Today Bangladesh has become a self-reliant country in food production as her government extended all support for diversification of food production and inventing new technologies of producing food grains, vegetable and other food items," she said."We are fourth in producing sweet-water fishes, and we are going ahead in producing other food items like meat and edible seeds, which didn`t happen without any support. Our support for research and scientific studies has contributed to make this happen," she added.Minister for Science and Technology Yafez Osman presided over the function while chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Science and Technology Dr Ruhal Haq spoke among others on the occasion while secretary of the ministry Sirajul Haque Khan gave welcome address.This year a total of 1,702 students were given the Bangabandhu Fellowship, NST Fellowship and research donations for their post graduate studies in science and technology at home and abroad.Congratulating the recipients of the fellowships and donations, the Prime Minister said as a victorious nation Bangladesh would not live bowing head or begging help from others. Bangladesh is going ahead and Bangladesh will go ahead. None will be able to hinder the advancement of the nation, she said.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said a country cannot progress without its development in the area of science and technology. To promote the scientific studies and researches, her government after taking office in 1996, allocated fund to conduct scientific research and studies, which remained completely suspended during post-1975 period.Urging everybody to infuse inspiration in students for science studies the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is now stepping into the atomic era, fulfilling its long cherished dream. In this area, the country needs huge number of people with scientific background, she said.`We have started the process and in the coming days our future generation would operate it," she said adding that the government has also use nanotechnology in medical services and other areas.The Prime Minister also urged the teachers and guardians and people of all sections of the society to guide their children to bar them from becoming radicalized and spoil their lives through involving them with militancy, terrorism and drug."Our children are very much brilliant. So, we have to remain careful so that none of them go in wrong path and involve them with militancy, terrorism and drug,` she said adding that Bangladesh is not a place for those social menaces.Sheikh Hasina hoped that the recipients of fellowships and donations would devote them in carrying out their research work more intensively and attentively so that they can give result of their research to the nation.Pointing out the opportunities created by the public and private initiatives and expansion of scholarship programme from primary to higher education level, the prime minister urged the students of all level to make the opportunities useful in their academic life.The prime minister said so far 37 persons have completed their MS degree and 30 persons completed their Phd abroad under the fellowship programme, At home 38 persons have done Phd degree and eight persons completed their post-doctorial research with the fellowship.Sheikh Hasina said the government has disbursed Taka 37.51 crore among 5,901 students for M Phil, Phd, and post-doctorial studies from 2009-2010 to 2015-2016 fiscal years. This year, she said Taka 9.91 crore would be given to 1,702 students.The prime minister said ministry of science and technology has introduced "Research Allowance" as incentive for research students. From 2009 and 2016 fiscal the ministry has distributed Taka 68.93 crore through 1,753 projects under the incentive programme, she said adding this year a total of Taka 11.57 crore would be given under 350 projects.The prime minister in her speech also highlighted the glorious history and struggles of the nation saying Bangalees have tradition and history of long struggles and none would be able to impede Bangladesh`s indomitable progress in various fronts.Everybody has to remember that Bangladesh is country liberated through a bloody war. As an independent and victorious nation, everybody has to put in their efforts to make the country a prosperous one, she said.Source: BSS