City Desk :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed satisfaction that her ruling Awami League party has been able to fulfil its election pledges to the people.
She said this in her introductory speech at the Awami League Advisory Council meeting held at her official residence Ganobhaban, reports UNB.
At the outset of the meeting observed one-minute silence in memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders, martyrs of August 15 massacre and late members of the Advisory Council.
Hasina, who is also president of the ruling party, said that Awami League never forgets its election pledges after forming the government.
“Every time while formulating the budget we evaluate how much progress we have made to implement the election pledges,” she said.
She also mentioned that while formulating the budget the Awami League government considers how to implement the unfinished election pledges.
She said that the government is advancing the country using the modern technology by developing from the grassroots level.
Recalling the horrible days the people faced after the mayhem on August 15, 1975 the prime minister said that the power was not in the hands of the mass people.
“The power was in the hands of the military dictators who had captured the state power illegally wearing uniform and as a result the development of the country was hampered while they thrived with their own development,” she said.
She said that during the military regime some 19/20 military coups had been staged while there were session jams in the educational institutions amid jingles of arms.
The PM said that the government has done the development of the country from the rural level with 90 per cent of its own sources.
She also mentioned that Bangladesh has attained the status of a developing country.
Talking about the Padma Bridge, the premier said that her government could take up the challenge as she has been honest in her purpose.
“We have built that bridge with our own money. Inshallah I will inaugurate that bridge on June 25,” she said.
She also said that a Canadian court declared all the allegations regarding this project false and baseless.
In this connection she mentioned that Dr Muahmmad Yunus, just for a post of managing director of Grameen Bank, carried out the conspiracy.
“He illegally stayed in the MD post of Grameen Bank at the age of 71. He lodged a case regarding the matter and lost,” she said.
She alleged that the World Bank cancelled the funding of the project on his (Dr Yunus ) request and later the Awami League government constructed that Bridge with the country’s own resources.
She said the next council of Awami League will be held within December this year.
Hasina said Bangladesh has proved it is no longer dependent on foreign funding by self-financing the construction of Padma Bridge.
“Bangladesh has changed a lot,” she said.
The PM said that after assuming power the Awami League government has been able to bring discipline in every sphere of life which was destroyed military regimes.
“We don’t believe in the trickle down development, we always believes in the socioeconomic development from the grassroots level,” she said.
She mentioned that her government has been able to reduce the poverty level under 20 per cent and hoped that in the upcoming census report the rate will decline further.
“Coronavirus has slowed down our economic growth. The growth was reduced to 3.5 per cent from eight per cent due to the pandemic. That was only for three months. Later we regained our momentum and now we have almost seven per cent growth,” she said.
She mentioned that the government is taking preparations to face the challenges that may arise because of the country’s graduation to a developing nation by 2026.
“This will not be a tough job for us. Our export is increasing and the remittance inflow is increasing,” she said.
The PM said that the government has formulated Delta Plan 2100 for sustainable development of the country overcoming the climate change effects.
She also put emphasis on strengthening the party to better serve the people.
She said that the government is thinking of providing Covid-19 vaccine to under-12 population with approval from the WHO.
“We have taken every step to protect people’s lives,” she said.
