President Abdul Hamid has said that ‘active involvement’ of the citizenry in the country’s development – in
effect a democratization of the development process – can make it more effective as well as expedite it.
“Development and democracy are complimentary to each other,” the president asserted, while inaugurating the Greater Mymensingh Cultural Festival on Saturday, jointly organised by the Greater Mymensingh Somonnoy Parishad (GMSP) and Greater Mymensingh Cultural Forum (GMCF) at the capital’s Officers’ Club.
President Hamid urged social organizations, including professional and regional ones, to come forward and supplement the government’s efforts toward development and reform.
“As a developing country, our government has many limitations. It’s not possible for the government alone to ensure overall development. So professional and regional and other social organizations can play an important role in regional development and social reform,” he said.
“Just as every child loves their mother, I too love my own birthplace, and also where I was brought up. We certainly share some additional responsibilities towards this birthplace,” said Abdul Hamid, who hails from Kishoreganj district that forms part of historic Greater Mymensingh, and can be expected to fall in the new Mymensingh division once it is administratively carved out in the map.
Rallying his audience of fellow Mymensinghers, whom he honoured by attending a rare lunch programme, President Hamid went on, saying “The work needed would be impossible unilaterally for anyone, but can indeed be done with the efforts of all. So I believe unity in our efforts is of utmost importance. I urge everyone to do some good from their respective positions.”
The President touched upon the government’s recent declaration of Mymensingh’s coming division-status, expressing hope that the region’ s development would be expedited once the administrative formalities for the country’s 9th divisional status are complete.
Some proud sons of Greater Mymensingh, including Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office Abul Kalam Azad, who also chairs the GMSP, chairman of the festival committee M Hamid, and Mustafa Jabbar, president of GMCF, also spoke on the occasion.
