শুক্রবার, ১২ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৮

Govt will move ahead evaluating past: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today addressed the nation on completion of the fourth year of her second consecutive term in office, saying the incumbent government would go ahead evaluating its success and failure of the past.

"We do not want to cling to the past, but would not forget it either. We will move forward by evaluating the successes and failures of the past and correcting the mistakes and faults," she said in her televised address this evening.

The premier said the country now was set on the track of the development highway when there was no scope for looking back and expected the present and future generation to take the responsibility for clearing all obstacles to the way of prosperity and progress.

Sheikh Hasina urged the people to take the right decision in coming days remembering what the country's position was ten years ago.

She expressed her firm conviction that all registered political parties would take part in the next general election to help uphold the country's democratic process and noted that the election commission by now earned people's confidence.

"The Honourable president constituted the new Election Commission through a search committee. This commission has by now conducted several local body elections including two city corporation polls," the premier said.

But she simultaneously warned people against a possible conspiracy to foil the next election saying a vested group might try to create a chaotic situation ahead of the polls and "so, people should remain careful".

The premier said in line with the constitution the next election was set to be held at the end of 2018 and ahead of the polls an election time government will be formed and "that government will provide all assistance to the election commission".

"People want peace. They will no longer accept any move for elections boycott and destruction of public property in the name of movement," she said.

In her 26-minute address the premier sought national unity for future Bangladesh saying "Let all irrespective of party and opinions join hands to build a developed, happy and prosperous Bangladesh unitedly for the future generation".

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her determination to build Bangladesh as a middle income country by 2021 and a developed and prosperous one by 2041.

"We are not sitting idle with only our goal. We have formulated necessary plan and is implementing those plans to achieve the cherished goal," she said.

The premier said 47 years elapsed since the independence and now "we want to live as a dignified nation keeping our head high in the world community".

"If it is your expectation, we will always remain aside you," she said.


Sheikh Hasina said with people's mandate she assumed office thrice and tried heart and soul to protect the dignity of their mandate and expected the people to evaluate her government's success or failure.

She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated the country to implement an ideology and spirit aimed at giving the people rid of hunger and poverty while "my determination is to implement Bangabandhu's aspiration".

The premier said an orchestrated plot debarred Awami League's return power in 2001 but after that election people saw a reign of political rouges to mark the subsequent years with unbridled corruption, plundering of public money, emergence of terrorism and indiscriminate political killings.

Sheikh Hasina said for seven years Bangladesh suffered as BNP and their cohorts were installed to power while after assuming office with peoples mandate in 2009 polls her government continued to make sincere efforts for overall national.

She, however said counting from the time of Bangabandhu's 1975 assassination, Bangladesh was virtually deprived of development for 28 years as the subsequent rulers did nothing for public welfare other than making their own fortune.

"Now all development plans in the country are being implemented with specific plans for achieving specific goals," the premier said.

But, she said BNP-Jamaat alliance created an unprecedented political mayhem during 2013-2015 killing some 500 people, wounding several thousand others, burning down 3,500 transports, 29 railway bogies and nine lunches and 76 government offices.

"Even they set mosques ablaze and burnt hundreds of copies of holy Quran. Even roadside trees and domestic animals could not escape their wrath," she said.

The premier said her party's 2014 election victory helped Bangladesh to be on the development track for nine consecutive years while its economic growth was spurring in full swing defying the global economic recession.

She said compared to GDP size of about Taka 4.84 crore during the BNP regime in 2006, the figure now stood at over 19.75 crore as the growth rate grew to 7.2 percent from 5.2 at that time.

The premier said Bangladesh was now being looked at with appreciation by international community as its per capita income rose to US$ 1,610 which was only $543 in 2005, reducing the poverty rate to 22 percent from 41 percent during the period.

The government, she said, undertook a plan to set up 100 special economic zones in the country to create employment opportunities adding none would remain jobless or starve in future once the economic zones were established.

The premier simultaneously highlighted the government's success in combating militancy and terrorism and appreciated the performance of the law enforcing agencies in maintaining order.

মঙ্গলবার, ৯ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৮

BGB-BSF are working in a joint effort to prevent smuggling and terrorism

 Lalmonirhat correspondent, January 9th: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Major General Abul Hossain said, "Man killing is not acceptable to anyone on the border. BGB-BSF jointly initiated Digital Border Management system to prevent any further killings in the border. Work is also going on to declare some border areas free of crime.He said these as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on distribution of cold clothes among the local helpless people at Jamgram Government Primary School ground on Tuesday noon (January 9th) at Patgram upazila of Patgram upazila. Rangpur Regional Officer Brig Gen AKM Saiful Islam, Director of Rangpur-7 BGB Battalion Lt. Colonel Mohammad Mahfuz ul Bari, Lalmonirhat District Commissioner Shafiul Arif, Patgram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Noor Kutubul Alam, Additional Superintendent of Police NM Nasir Uddin and Baura UP Chairman Abul Kalam Azad Basuni were also present in the meeting.DG Major General Abul Hossain said, "Digital Smart Border Management has been introduced in different country boundaries along the country including Hili. In phases, the work of introducing digital Smart Border Management is going on to ensure border security of BGB-BSF border across the country. Because smuggling and terrorist activities are not a single issue of India-Bangladesh alone; This is a problem for the whole world. This is why it is a common issue for both countries. In order to solve the problem, the talks between DG at both the countries continue to be ongoing. BGB-BSF field level discussion is underway in this regard. 'Referring to the BGB's manpower crisis, he said, "In the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, steps have been taken to recruit personnel already." Initiatives have been taken to build roads on the border, which are not BGB camps, and construction of roads to facilitate joint border patrol. BGB-BSF has a great relationship now than ever before. As a result, the killing of the border has decreased. BGB and BSF are discussing in high level to bring down border killings. Within a few days, the BSF is working for the killing of the border.


চোরাচালান ও সন্ত্রাসী প্রতিরোধে বিজিবি-বিএসএফ’র একযোগে কাজ চলছে

লালমনিরহাট প্রতিনিধি ।। বর্ডার গার্ড বাংলাদেশ(বিজিবি) মহাপরিচালক মেজর জেনারেল আবুল হোসেন বলেছেন, ‘সীমান্তে মানুষ হত্যা কারো কাছে গ্রহণ যোগ্য নয়। সীমান্তে যাতে আর কোনো হত্যা কান্ডের ঘটনা না ঘটে সেজন্য বিজিবি-বিএসএফ যৌথভাবে ডিজিটাল বর্ডার ম্যানেজমেন্ট ব্যবস্থা চালু করার উদ্যোগ নিয়েছে। কিছু কিছু সীমান্তকে অপরাধমুক্ত অঞ্চল ঘোষনা করারও কাজ চলছে।’ 
মঙ্গলবার দুপুরে (৯ জানুয়ারি) লালমনিরহাট জেলার পাটগ্রাম উপজেলার বাউরা সানিয়াজান নদীর ধারে জমগ্রাম সরকারি প্রাথমিক বিদ্যালয় মাঠে স্থানীয় অসহায় লোকজনদের মাঝে শীতবস্ত্র বিতরণ পূর্ব এক আলোচনা সভায় প্রধান অতিথির বক্তব্যে তিনি এসব কথা বলেন। এসময় উপস্থিত ছিলেন রংপুর আঞ্চলিক কর্মকর্তা ব্রিগেডিয়ার জেনারেল একেএম সাইফুল ইসলাম, রংপুর-৭বিজিবি ব্যাটালিয়নের পরিচালক লে. কর্নেল মোঃ মাহফুজ উল বারী, লালমনিরহাট জেলা প্রশাসক শফিউল আরিফ, পাটগ্রাম উপজেলা নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা নূর কুতুবুল আলম, অতিরিক্ত পুলিশ সুপার এনএম নাসির উদ্দিন ও বাউরা ইউপি চেয়ারম্যান আবুল কালাম আজাদ বসুনীয়াসহ স্থানীয় গণ্যমান্য ব্যক্তিবর্গ। 
ডিজি মেজর জেনারেল আবুল হোসেন আরো বলেন, ‘হিলিসহ দেশের বিভিন্ন স্থলবন্দর সীমান্তে ডিজিটাল স্মার্ট বর্ডার ম্যানেজমেন্ট চালু করা হয়েছে। পর্যায়ক্রমে দেশের সব সীমান্তে বিজিবি-বিএসএফ সীমান্ত সুরক্ষা নিশ্চিত করতে ডিজিটাল স্মার্ট বর্ডার ম্যানেজমেন্ট চালু করার কাজ চলছে। কারণ চোরাচালান ও সন্ত্রাসী কর্মকান্ড শুধু ভারত-বাংলাদেশের একক কোনো সমস্যা নয়; এটি সারা বিশ্বের জন্যই সমস্যা। এজন্য এটি উভয় দেশের জন্য কমন ইস্যু। যাতে সমস্যা সমাধান করা যায়, সেজন্য উভয় দেশের ডিজি পর্যায়ে আলোচনা অব্যাহত রয়েছে। এক্ষেত্রে সমাধানে বিজিবি-বিএসএফ মাঠ পর্যায়েও আলোচনা চলছে।’  
বিজিবির জনবল সংকটের বিষয়ে উল্লেখ করে তিনি আরো বলেন, ‘মাননীয় প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার নির্দেশে ইতোমধ্যে জনবল নিয়োগের পদক্ষেপ নেওয়া হয়েছে। যেসব সীমান্তে বিজিবির ক্যাম্প নেই, সেসব সীমান্তে ক্যাম্প নির্মাণ ও যৌথ সীমান্ত টহল সহজ করতে রাস্তা নির্মাণের বিষয়ে উদ্যোগ নেওয়া হয়েছে। আগের যে কোনো সময়ের চেয়ে বর্তমানে বিজিবি-বিএসএফের মধ্যে এক চমৎকার সম্পর্ক রয়েছে। ফলে সীমান্তে হত্যা কমেছে। তবে সীমান্ত হত্যা শূন্যে নামিয়ে আনতে বিজিবি ও বিএসএফের উচ্চ পর্যায়ে আলোচনা চলছে। কিছু দিনের মধ্যেই সীমান্ত হত্যা আর যাতে না ঘটে, সেজন্য বিএসএফ কাজ করছে।’