UNB, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the researchers and students of the country to work hard and with utmost responsibility to achieve the desired goal as financial grants for researches and fellowships are awarded to them from the taxpayers money.
“Due to the resource constraints, allocation of fund in various sectors is being made on priority basis. The financial grants for researches and fellowships are being provided to them from the taxpayers’ money. So, I’ll urge the researchers and students of the country to work hard and with utmost responsibility to achieve the desired goal,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a function, marking the distribution of cheques of Bangabandhu Fellowship, National Science & Technology Fellowship and financial grants to researchers and students, at Osmani Memrial Auditorium in the capital.
State Minister for Science and Technology Yeafesh Osman presided over the function organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Acting Secretary of the Ministry AKM Amir Hossain gave the welcome address.
Putting emphasis on inventing new and sustainable technologies, Sheikh Hasina said that the desired development could be achieved through transforming the country’s huge population into skilled manpower by using science and technology.
“The most important thing for Bangladesh now is science, technology and research.”
She urged all concerned to reach the fruits of science and technology to the doorsteps of general people through undertaking proper initiatives to create awareness and science-based mentality among the people through wide practice of science and technology.
The Prime Minister mentioned that her government has been providing necessary cooperation including financial grants to enhance and improve research activities on science and technology following the path shown by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Such cooperation from the government would be increased further in future,” she assured.
Mentioning the allocation of over Tk 37.14 crore as research grants against 784 projects from fiscal 2009-10 to 2012-13, she said that around Tk 12.16 crore has been allocated against 331 projects in the current fiscal. Such grants would help establish a science-based society.
Sheikh Hasina said that ‘Bangabandhu Fellowship on Science and ICT Project’ is being implemented at a cost of Tk 86 crore to build a science-based nation as well as to create scientists with skilled and special qualifications, technologists and researchers at national level.
Besides, National Science and Technology Fellowships are being given to students and researchers for conducting MPhil, PhD and post-Doctoral research.
She mentioned that around Tk 17.02 crore as fellowships has been given to some 2,433 research students during 2009-10 to 2012-13 fiscal years while more than Tk 6.28 crore would be provided to some 1,001 researchers and students in the current fiscal.
Elaborating various steps of her previous government in ensuring wide application of ICT in economic, social, cultural and political sectors, the PM said initiatives have been taken to turn Bangladesh into a digital one before the targetted 2021 while a process has begun to set country’s first satellite ‘Bangabandhu Satellite’ in space. She said that more than 10 lakh patients have so far been given treatment in 14 Nuclear Medical Centers of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission through which the government has earned nearly Tk 50 crore.
Highlighting the successes of the country’s scientists and researchers, Hasina mentioned that Bangladeshi scientists decoded the genome sequence of Tosha and local variety of jute, brightening the image of the country.
Besides, by using genetic engineering and bio-technology, they invented various types of drought-tolerant paddy, she said.
“Country’s scientists through their publications in various international competitions, exhibitions and journals brightened the image of the country …taken us to a new height in the world community by their works at home and abroad.”
Mentioning her government’s initiatives to make available more computer services and mobile phones to the commoners during the period of 1996-2001, Hasina said now there are 11 crore SIM cards in the country.
She said that the 4G service would be launched in the country while computer education would be made mandatory at primary level. She also informed that some 8,000 post offices in the country would be gradually upgraded to information and service centers.
Describing her government’s initiatives to launch education curriculum at all levels prioritizing science and technology, the Prime Minister said people can now become science-oriented coming out of the mentality of ancient days.
She also expressed her firm resolve to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country ahead of 2021 and a developed country by 2041. Earlier, the Prime Minister distributed cheques of financial grants and fellowships to 10 recipients.
