Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged all to remain alert so that anyone cannot be involved in militancy from one’s own position. ‘We’ll have to remain vigilant that anyone cannot be involved in this social menace from one’s own position, all will have to be careful in this regard,’ she said. The prime minister was speaking at a cheque handover ceremony by 31 private banks and six organisations to the PM’s relief and welfare fund at her official residence Ganabhaban. Renewing her government’s resolve to stamp out militancy, Sheikh Hasina said militants are causing the worst damage to Islam and putting its image into questions through killing innocent people. Hasina said there will be no place of militancy and terrorism in the country. ‘We won’t allow any sort of militancy and terrorism in the country,’ she reiterated. She sought the cooperation of all, including bankers, in facing the problems like militancy and terrorism in the country. ‘Islam is a religion of peace, killing people in the name of Islam, what good thing they’re actually doing for our religion through such killings! I simply can’t understand!’ she wondered. Through the killing of innocent people, Hasina said, the killers are rather undermining the religion of peace. ‘They are just putting our religion into question. They’re causing the worst damage to the religion, this is the most regretful matter,’ she said. Expressing her government’s resolve to effectively deal with the problem, she said, ‘Problems will come and we’ll have to solve those …we’re doing that.’ The prime minister mentioned that the government will be able to face the human created problems as it does the natural calamities. Hasina said her government has already been able to create mass awareness against the militancy and terrorism. ‘Even grassroots people are now aware about it,’ she said. About the recent flood that hit various parts of the country, the prime minister said her party has formed eight teams to help the flood-affected people across the country. ‘They’re now distributing relief materials like food, medicines, cloths and other necessary items, among the flood victims,’ she said. She also noted that Bangladesh’s success in facing natural disasters is now an example for the rest of the world to follow. Hasina said the government wants to bring more dynamism in the private sector to make the economy vibrant further through boosting investment. Talking about the lower inflation during monsoon, she mentioned that the government has been able to rein in it through various pragmatic steps even in this time. ‘We’ve been able to maintain a good trend of economy in this season, too… the prices of goods are under control,’ she added. The prime minister also expressed her gratitude to private organisations for providing the donations. Some 31 banks, Walton Group, Bashundhara Group, Ship Breakers Association, Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, Gurdwara Management Committee donated cheques of financial assistance. Prime minister’s adviser HT Imam, businessmen Salman F Rahman and former FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed were present, among others.
Source: Prothom Alo
