Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called upon all to work together to take the country forward upholding the country’s constitution and build Bangladesh imbued with the Liberation War spirit.
“Through the independence, we’ve got our recognition as an independent nation and we’ll have to uphold the constitution and move the country forward abiding by it,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a rally of children and juvenile held at Bangabandhu National Stadium in the morning marking the country’s the 43rd Independence and National Day.
Hasina said the Bangalee nation had to march through a long path of struggle and bloodshed to gain the independence.
Terming children the future leaders of the nation, Hasina said her government has been working relentlessly to protect the rights of children as well as present a beautiful, developed and better life for them and thus brightening their future.
In this context, she mentioned that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had implemented various programmes for ensuring the welfare of the children alongside rebuilding a war-ravaged country.
The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu had formulated Bangladesh Child Act in 1974 and incorporated a clause in the constitution on formulating a special provision for the children by the state although the United Nations General Assembly later adopted ‘Child Rights Charter’ in 1989.
Following the path of Bangabandhu, she said, the present government has taken various initiatives to build the country upholding the spirit of the War of Liberation and adopted a time-befitting national education policy to ensure proper education for the children.
Hasina said her government has ensured the distribution of textbooks to students free of cost on the very first day of the academic year and almost cent percent enrollment in primary schools apart from free distribution of textbooks up to the secondary level.
She mentioned that the physically-challenged children are being provided with training on various disciplines alongside increasing the scope of education and financial assistance for the welfare of the street children, children engaged in risky and hazardous jobs, dropped out children and also to the physically-challenged children.
The Prime Minister said her government has already formed an Education Assistance Trust Fund from where some 1,16,000 students would be provided assistance for carrying out their higher studies.
Hasina also expressed her firm resolve that Bangladesh would not be termed a poor country one day and it would stand at the global stage keeping its head high. “We’re taking every step so that we could build a hunger and poverty-free, developed and prosperous Bangladesh.”
Terming the country’s children ‘Sonar Children’, she also expressed her hope that they would take ahead the country and once would become ministers and even the Prime Minister and thus build ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. She also prayed for a bright future of the children.
Hasina urged the children to learn the undistorted history of the Liberation War, freedom fighters and life of the Father of Nation. “Today’s children must build themselves as worthy citizens to lead Bangladesh with dignity.”
Laying emphasis on regular study, the Prime Minister also advised the children to abide by their teachers and elders’ guidance and requested all to be sensitive to the mentally and physically-challenged children and to the poor.
Earlier, the Prime Minister formally opened the rally through hoisting national flag while the national anthem was played at that time. She also released balloons and pigeons and inspected the parade.
Organised by the district administration, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Yusuf Harun gave the vote of thanks. Dhaka Divisional Commissioner AN Shamsuddin Azad Chowdhury was also present.
On her arrival at the venue, the Prime Minister was received by State Minister for Liberation War Affairs AB Tajul Islam.
Later, Hasina took salute of the 40 participating teams from different educational institutions and enjoyed a colourful display.
Source: UNB Connect