City Desk :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the government officials to ensure optimum utilisation of domestic resources to help achieve Bangladesh’s goal to become a developed country.
“Whatever resources the country has, we have to utilise those to advance the country. Inshallah, the forward march of Bangladesh will continue,” she told a function marking the signing of the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) of ministries and their subordinate bodies, reports UNB.
The programme was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with the PM joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain and Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam were present on the dais at the programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium side.
PM Hasina said that the construction Padma Bridge with own resources has brightened Bangladesh’s image abroad and earned respect for the people. Banglalees will now move around the world with their heads held high, she said.
She mentioned that vested quarters made lives of her family members, the then-communication minister, an advisor and the then-secretary miserable levelling false allegation against them.
She once again said, “I knew that there was no corruption happened in Padma Bridge project. I had that belief. At one stage I declared to construct the Bridge with own financing.”
She recalled that many in the country and abroad could not believe that Bangladesh would be able to construct the Bridge with its own resources.
“Today we have done that, this is not only a brick-cement-steel-iron made concrete infrastructure, this is the symbol of our self-dignity,” she reiterated.
This Padma Bridge she said, is the symbol of “our victory and honour as we the Bangalee nation are the victorious nation that got Independence through the Liberation War.”
“We have to move with confidence that yes we can. Not only the developed countries can do, we also can do. Inshallah, we will be able to establish ourselves as the developed country and that is our belief.”
She said that her government has been able to realize most of what Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt in a building “Sonar Bangla”, a nation of happiness and prosperity.
She said that huge non-perishable goods from the southern region will now be transported through the Padma Bridge uplifting the region.
She asked the officials to accelerate the development of wholesale markets at Amin Bazar, Mohakhali, Sayeedabad/Kanchpur and Postogola/Keramiganj for the better management of these goods.
“We have to build those to reduce the pressure at Karwan Bazar area,” she said.
She also put emphasis on building ring road around the capital city for smooth traffic and transportation of commodities.
