Government to arrange counseling against radicalization: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government would arrange counseling for students, teachers and guardians against radicalization of youths.

In a video conference with the people of Mymensingh division from her Gonobhaban residence here today the Prime Minister said a trained group of personnel would be developed to counsel properly and effectively.

Such counseling would make them aware against militancy and terrorism and build up capacity of the guardians to pursue their kids to bring them back to right path, she said.

The prime minister expressed her firm optimism that with the united efforts of all Bangladesh would remain as a peaceful country where there would be no room for terrorism and militancy.

The video conference was arranged as part of the Prime Minister’s initiative to discuss with common people on the development work in their area and motivate people to forge unity and resistance against terrorism and militancy.

The Prime Minister said, her government is making constant efforts to make this country developed and prosperous. “.... we want to make the society a beautiful one where every home would be a lighthouse,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said everybody has to join hands and put in united efforts to protect the youths from drug and help them become self reliant in education, economy and other fronts.

Around 2.8 million people of four districts of the Mymensingh Division including officials, Imams, teachers, students, professionals, elected public representatives were linked during the video conference from as many as 4,019 points at district, upazila and union.

They exchanged views with the Prime Minister on the development activities in their areas and steps taken for combating terrorism and militancy.

Congratulating the people of the newly constituted Division the Prime Minister said her government aims to make Bangladesh a peaceful prosperous country in South Asia as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League works for welfare of the country. So the country goes ahead when Awami League comes to power. The country became self sufficient in food during Awami League tenure, she said adding progress has been made in public life when Awami League came to power.

Sheikh Hasina said during the tenure of her government in 1996-2001 the country moved forward to a higher level of development. But it was a disaster for the countrymen to see BNP at the helm of power in 2001 which destroyed every success of the nation during their five years term in office.

Sheikh Hasina said terrorism and militancy have emerged as a new vice when Bangladesh is progressing fast towards development and prosperity. During its regime the BNP had unlashed a reign of terror across the country and patronized the terrors to sprout. Now they are constantly trying to obstruct the country’s progress, she said.

The Prime Minister said her government has embarked upon massive development works for the newly constituted division. Dhaka-Mymensingh road has been made into four-lanes and many projects were implemented to put in place to set up a better communication system with rural areas.

Pointing out the flash flood in different districts of the division few days back the Prime Minister said the government had already taken necessary steps for rehabilitation of the affected persons. She said the economic condition of the people of the region would be better once the special economic zones are set up according to the government plan.

Sheikh Hasina extended her sincere thanks to the government officials of the division for taking a generous move to provide their one-day salary to a fund for rehabilitation of the the beggars and drug addicts. She urged the elected public representatives and well-off people of the region to come forward to make the mission successful.

The Prime Minister said the wave of terrorism and militancy has come down remarkably due to united role of the Imams, authorities of the educational institutions and guardians. Your initiatives would help our children to remain in the right path, she said.

In this regard the Prime Minister reiterated her government’s plan to rehabilitate the youths who would renounce the path of militancy, terrorism and drug saying the government would do everything what is required for this.

Pointing out the initiatives taken by her government for socio-economic development of the country the Prime Minister said massive development projects are being implemented across the country, which need proper attention and monitoring during implementation.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury conducted the video conference. He said the present government has so far undertaken 116 projects for Mymensingh district out of those 44 have already been executed. In Jamalpur district, a total of 93 projects were taken and 35 were implemented. In Netrakona, he said, so far 64 projects were undertaken and out of those 37 were implemented. In Sherpur a total of 62 projects were taken and out of those 38 projects were implemented.

Source: BSS