Country marching towards prosperity confronting all odds, says PM

FE Team | Published: August 21, 2023 00:11:18

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday said her government wanted Bangladesh to continue journey towards development and prosperity, report agencies.
"Despite Bangladesh having to face natural and man-made disasters like arson terrorism, we want country's continued journey towards development," she said while inaugurating the newly constructed 15-storey Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Bhaban and 13-storey Information Commission Bhaban.
Joining the programme virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here, she also laid the foundation stone of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) Complex.
The prime minister said Bangladesh is marching towards prosperity confronting all the odds as the country has been being run by a democratic government with a stable condition since 2009.
The PM said they want the progress of Bangladesh would continue.
The BTRC Bhaban was constructed on one acre of land, while the Information Commission Bhaban on 0.35 acre of land.
The prime minister said her government has taken steps to equip the citizens, the society, government and the country with the knowledge of modern technology.
"We'll be able to do it successfully. There will be no hunger and poverty in Bangladesh. Every landless will get a house and the living standard of every individual will improve," she said.
Talking about the recently introduced universal pension scheme, Sheikh Hasina said her government has made the pension scheme universal. Now all, not only the government staff, will get pension, so that they would lead a meaningful life in the family and society, she said.
Noting that her government transformed the country into a Digital Bangladesh, she said "We want to build the country as a 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041 where the population, economy, society and government will be smart."
Focusing on her government's success in the telecommunication sector, PM Hasina said now the teledensity has increased to 104 percent in Bangladesh. "I think it is an incredible development," she said.
She said the number of mobile SIM subscribers is now 180 million against 170 million population in Bangladesh as an individual subscribes more than one SIMs in many cases.
The PM said she opened the television channels for the private sector during her 1996-2001 regime aiming to raise employment generation in the country as much as possible.
Now some 32 out of 44 permitted television channels are in operation in the country, she added.
She said the network of optical fiber is some 0.16million km throughout the country.
Talking about the film sector, the premier asked the filmmakers to make a larger number of kids movies for the children of the country.
"We need to make more movies for the children so that they can learn many things from the films," she said.
Highlighting different steps taken by her government to develop the film industry, she said the government is constructing Bangabandhu Film City on a five-acre of land at Kaliakoir in Gazipur at cost of Tk 3.80 billion.
She said the government formed the welfare trusts for artists and enhanced the fund allocation for making healthy movies.
The PM said it is expected that the construction of the BFDC complex would be completed by 2024. It'll be an excellent structure in a nearby place of scenic Hatirjheel, she said.
"An excellent structure is going to be constructed," she said, extending her thanks to the architects of the BFDC complex.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud and Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar spoke at the function moderated by PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin.