Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said Bangladesh’s democracy is now well-protected and it has earned the capability to face any disaster.
“Our economy has stood on a solid ground and democracy is well-protected … we’ve been able to ensure fundamental rights of the people like food, clothes, housing and education,” she said.
The prime minister made the comments before media after exchanging Eid greetings with the cross section of people, including party leaders and workers, professionals, judges and foreign diplomats at her official Ganabhaban residence here this afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now economically developed and the people’s purchasing capacity has increased and their living standard has improved significantly.
She said the literacy rate and the people’s average life expectancy have gone up and Bangladesh got recognition as a developing country thanks to various steps of her government.
Putting emphasis on maintaining the continuation of the development, the premier said the country had to cross many hurdles to earn this success.
“We’ve to also cross many barriers in future to advance the country and it’s natural … we keep capability to face any disaster,” she added.
The prime minister reiterated her determination to build a hunger and poverty-free country by 2021 and developed and prosperous country in South Asia by 2041.
“The people of the country will also celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu in 2020 by establishing Bangladesh as a hunger and poverty-free country,” she said.
“We want that we could move on the world stage by keeping our head high and we’re building the country in this way and Insha Allah the country will advance in that way,” she added.
At the outset of her speech, Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen and expatriate Bangladeshis on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr. “I want that the people will live in joyous environment throughout their life and it’s my wish that they will live beautifully,” she said.
She also paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu, four national leaders, three million martyrs and two lakh mothers and sisters who sacrificed their life for the cause of the country.
The gate of the Ganabhaban was opened for visitors at 9.30 am when people from all walks of life started coming after their Eid prayers and waited in a long queue to meet the prime minister. On the occasion the big lawn of Gonabhaban was tastefully decorated. Leaders of different political parties, parliament members, freedom fighters, educationists, senior journalists, leaders of associate bodies of Awami League and different professional and trade bodies as well as the cross section of people including beggars and destitute exchanged Eid greetings with the prime minister.
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, LGRD Minister Engineer Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, AL Presidium Members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Muhammad Faruk Khan, Dr Abdur Razzak and Sahara Khatun, central leaders Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Ashim Kumar Ukil, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan were present, among others.
Like previous years, some of the visitors took the programme as an opportunity to draw attention of the top executive of the country to their woes and sufferings and sought her intervention and support to resolve those problems.
Later, Sheikh Hasina exchanged Eid greetings with judges of the Supreme Court, senior civil and military officials and ambassadors and high commissioners of different friendly countries at a separate programme on Ganabhaban lawn.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and the chiefs of the three services attended the function.
Source: BSS