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.
