PM alerts nation against reappearance of coronavirus
Sheikh Hasina called for stricter maintenance and enforcement of health guidelines
Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation marking the 3rd anniversary of her current government on Friday, January 7, 2022 PID
BSS
Publish : 07 Jan 2022, 08:41 PMUpdate : 07 Jan 2022, 09:17 PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the public to be extra cautious against quick-spreading new coronavirus variants, warning that the crisis was yet to be over.
She urged all eligible people to become vaccinated as soon as possible.
“The crisis is yet to end,” she told a televised nationwide address coinciding with the completion of the third year of the third consecutive term of her government.
Sheikh Hasina called for stricter maintenance and enforcement of health guidelines as a new surge of coronavirus was quickly spreading across the globe , after exposing Bangladesh and most other countries to a “deep crisis” in 2020 and 2021.
“I urge the people who are yet to get the jabs to take the vaccine immediately (while) health protocols must be followed (as well),” she said.
The premier said the inoculation campaign was underway in full swing and her government took steps to expedite the drive, setting a target afresh to vaccinate 10 million people every month from January.
Sheikh Hasina said nearly half of the country’s population had so far received the first Covid-19 vaccine dose and nearly 54.6 million people had received two doses. The authorities started administering booster doses last month.
“We have 95 million doses in stock right now’, the premier said.
The incumbent Awami League government under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership assumed office for the third consecutive term on January 7, 2019, following a landslide victory in 11th parliamentary election on December 30, 2018.
Economy:
The prime minister said the pandemic affected Bangladesh economy as did other countries, with many nations facing disasters, but her government managed to recover the losses with the help of citizens.
She said her government was trying to keep the wheels of the country's economy moving by giving necessary policy support and various progressive financial stimulus packages since the onset of the crisis.
She said the government has so far announced 28 stimulus packages worth over Tk1.87 crore and 56.76% of the amount was disbursed by October last year, to 67.4 million individuals and 118,000 organizations.
She said Bangladesh secured the number one position in terms of GDP in South Asia with 5.43% growth during the last fiscal year, also heightening the per capita income to $2,554 in 2021.
The premier said different global watchdogs praised Bangladesh’s economic performance, with World Economic Forum predicting the country to be 24th largest economy by 2030. The Economist placed Bangladesh in ninth position on a list of 66 successful emerging economies.
“The 2021 was a year of unprecedented recognition of our development. We achieved final recognition of becoming a developing nation last year. The achievement is a matter of joy and pride for the Bengali nation as it coincided with celebrations of the Mujib Year and golden jubilee of the country's independence,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the country was currently leading South Asia in various socio-economic indexes because of her government’s holistic approach to policy initiatives, primarily wiping out poverty, developing the health system, and empowering women.
She said policy initiatives simultaneously resulted in reductions in mother and children mortality rate, as well as increases to the average life expectancy.
“Bangladesh has progressed a lot in the last 13 years. It has been possible as the people have kept confidence in us,” she said.
The premier said her government was working with a target to turn Bangladesh into a welfare-oriented, developed and prosperous country by 2041. “We hope you (people) will stand beside us as you did in the past.”
She said all her government was endeavouring to build a prosperous future for the new generation, while the country also largely relied on the “unending vigour” of the younger generation in building a progressive Bangladesh while confronting all the odds.
“I firmly believe we will march ahead generation after generation, keeping our heads held high,” Sheikh Hasina said.
Conspiracy:
The prime minister, however, said anti-Bangladesh and anti-Liberation elements were reactivating staying at home and abroad to thwart the country’s march forward despite the development spree.
“They are trying to mislead people with false, fabricated and imaginary information on social networking sites. They are also trying to make our development partners in foreign countries misunderstand us,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina urged people remain alert against these elements and not to allow them to play with the fate of Bangladesh’s people.
The prime minister said the development journey could not be hampered as the Awami League is always with the people, as it believes that the people are the sources of all power.
Corruption, communalism and militancy:
Sheikh Hasina visibly outlined the governance policy at the onset of the fourth year of her government announcing that it would take tougher stance particularly against the three menaces --- corruption, communalism and militancy.
“We have taken a tougher stance against corruption. No corrupt elements irrespective of party affiliation and whatever powerful they might be are not or will be spared,” she said.
The premier said the Anti-Corruption Commission was working independently to lash out corrupt elements but added that a social campaign was simultaneously necessary to whip out “the disease”.
She said Bangladesh handled militancy with an iron fist under an announced “zero tolerance” policy against the menace and simultaneously her government was committed to uphold the country’s tradition of interfaith harmony as a secular country.
“Followers of different religious faiths are living together maintaining mutual tolerance and will do the same in future as well,” Sheikh Hasina said.
Development Plan
The Prime Minister said Awami League had announced a manifesto titled "Bangladesh on the Path to Prosperity" before the Eleventh Parliamentary Election in 2018, aiming to build a hunger-poverty-illiteracy free non-communal Bangladesh through establishing an efficient, service-oriented and accountable administration and wiping out terrorism-militancy.
Bangladesh will be an upper middle-income country by 2031 and a high-income prosperous country by 2041, she said, referring to the Eighth Five Year Plan (2021-2015) which is being implemented at an estimated cost of Tk64,95,980 crore.
Sheikh Hasina added that generation of around 116,70,000 sources of employment has been targeted in this period, while the poverty rate will come down to 15.6% and extreme poverty rate to 7.4% after the implementation of the Eighth Five Year Plan (EFYP). She continued that in the last year 2025, the GDP growth rate would be 8.51%.
In addition to the EFYP, implementation of the 10 initiatives to help alleviate poverty will continue, the premier said.
Mega Infrastructures
Mentioning that 2022 will be a milestone for Bangladesh in terms of infrastructure development, Sheikh Hasina said the government are going to inaugurate the much-awaited Padma Bridge in June. The bridge has been completed with the country's own funds after overcoming many conspiracies and obstacles.
She said the bridge is expected to contribute 1.2% to GDP and will connect the southern part of the country directly with other regions, including Dhaka.
Besides, she said the government plans to launch the 14km metro rail from Uttara to Agargaon by the end of this year. Train movement has already started experimentally, the launch of the service may revolutionize movement in Dhaka.
In addition, she revealed that the country's first tunnel under the river Karnaphuli will be opened in Chittagong next October.
The premier went on to say that work on other mega projects was also going on in full swing and they are expecting the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant , the largest development project in the history of the country involving Tk 113,000 crore, would be commissioned by April next year. The plant has a capacity of 1,200MW.
Power and Energy
The daily power generation capacity stands at 25,235MW, revealed the premier, requesting countrymen to recall their memories regarding the power supply situation before the Awami League government took over in 2009. At that time, the total power generation capacity was 4200MW.
"We have fulfilled our promise ," she said, referring to her commitment of providing electricity to 100% of the people in the Mujib Year.
As part of long-term plans, she said a 1320-megawatt power plant has already been set up in Payra while power plants with a total capacity of 7,800MW are being constructed at Rampal, Payra, Banshkhali, Maheshkhali and Matarbari.
Gas supply to the national grid has been raised to 2,525 million cubic feet from 1,744 million cubic feet in 2009, Sheikh Hasina said, adding that liquefied gas is being imported from 2018 to meet the continuing demand for gas.
She also mentioned that approximately 17 to 103 trillion cubic feet of gas hydrates had been found under the Bay of Bengal, which would help the country meet its energy needs.
Self-sufficiency in Food
Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in food production with the production of granular food grains at 4.55 crore tons, Sheikh Hasina said.
Making public that Bangladesh has stood in third position in the world in rice, vegetable and onion production, she said this revolution in agriculture has been achieved through continued policy support and incentives.
In addition, Bangladesh has also attained self-sufficiency in fish, meat, eggs and vegetables, the premier said, adding that it ranks second in terms of growth rate of fish production in inland open water while ranks first among 11 Ilish fish producing countries.
Transportation and Communication
The head of government said they have integrated rural development into the mainstream development process as the country's villages have always been out of development plans during the tenures of past governments.
She said Awami League in its 2018 election manifesto "My Village, My City" pledged to expand modern urban amenities to every village.
Paved roads have been constructed in almost all the villages across the country, she said, adding that around 66,755km of roads had been developed and 394,000 bridges and culverts had been constructed, along with the construction and expansion of 1,767 Union Parishad complex buildings, 1,025 cyclone centers, and 326 Upazila Complex buildings in rural areas from 2009 to 2021.
Sheikh Hasina said around 458km of national highways have been upgraded to four or more lanes, while work is underway to upgrade another 887km of highways to four lanes and above.
She added that construction of the 46.73km Elevated Expressway from the airport to Kutubkhali in Dhaka will be completed by 2023.
At present, 37 projects are being implemented involving Tk13,371.45 crore with a view to turning Bangladesh Railway into a modern and time-befitting public transport, while feasibility work is underway to set up a circular railway line around Dhaka.
Sheikh Hasina said from 2009 to 2021, over 451km of new railway tracks have been installed and 1,181 kilometer of railway tracks have been rehabilitated along with construction of 428 new railway bridges.
She said the construction work of the 4.8km-long Bangabandhu Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River is progressing fast.
Besides, they have incorporated 12 new state-of-the-art Boeing and Dreamliner aircraft in the fleet of state-own Bangladesh Biman Airlines along with three Dash-8-400 aircraft.
PM alerts nation against reappearance of coronavirus
Sheikh Hasina called for stricter maintenance and enforcement of health guidelines
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the public to be extra cautious against quick-spreading new coronavirus variants, warning that the crisis was yet to be over.
She urged all eligible people to become vaccinated as soon as possible.
“The crisis is yet to end,” she told a televised nationwide address coinciding with the completion of the third year of the third consecutive term of her government.
Sheikh Hasina called for stricter maintenance and enforcement of health guidelines as a new surge of coronavirus was quickly spreading across the globe , after exposing Bangladesh and most other countries to a “deep crisis” in 2020 and 2021.
“I urge the people who are yet to get the jabs to take the vaccine immediately (while) health protocols must be followed (as well),” she said.
The premier said the inoculation campaign was underway in full swing and her government took steps to expedite the drive, setting a target afresh to vaccinate 10 million people every month from January.
Sheikh Hasina said nearly half of the country’s population had so far received the first Covid-19 vaccine dose and nearly 54.6 million people had received two doses. The authorities started administering booster doses last month.
“We have 95 million doses in stock right now’, the premier said.
The incumbent Awami League government under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership assumed office for the third consecutive term on January 7, 2019, following a landslide victory in 11th parliamentary election on December 30, 2018.
Economy:
The prime minister said the pandemic affected Bangladesh economy as did other countries, with many nations facing disasters, but her government managed to recover the losses with the help of citizens.
She said her government was trying to keep the wheels of the country's economy moving by giving necessary policy support and various progressive financial stimulus packages since the onset of the crisis.
She said the government has so far announced 28 stimulus packages worth over Tk1.87 crore and 56.76% of the amount was disbursed by October last year, to 67.4 million individuals and 118,000 organizations.
She said Bangladesh secured the number one position in terms of GDP in South Asia with 5.43% growth during the last fiscal year, also heightening the per capita income to $2,554 in 2021.
The premier said different global watchdogs praised Bangladesh’s economic performance, with World Economic Forum predicting the country to be 24th largest economy by 2030. The Economist placed Bangladesh in ninth position on a list of 66 successful emerging economies.
“The 2021 was a year of unprecedented recognition of our development. We achieved final recognition of becoming a developing nation last year. The achievement is a matter of joy and pride for the Bengali nation as it coincided with celebrations of the Mujib Year and golden jubilee of the country's independence,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the country was currently leading South Asia in various socio-economic indexes because of her government’s holistic approach to policy initiatives, primarily wiping out poverty, developing the health system, and empowering women.
She said policy initiatives simultaneously resulted in reductions in mother and children mortality rate, as well as increases to the average life expectancy.
“Bangladesh has progressed a lot in the last 13 years. It has been possible as the people have kept confidence in us,” she said.
The premier said her government was working with a target to turn Bangladesh into a welfare-oriented, developed and prosperous country by 2041. “We hope you (people) will stand beside us as you did in the past.”
She said all her government was endeavouring to build a prosperous future for the new generation, while the country also largely relied on the “unending vigour” of the younger generation in building a progressive Bangladesh while confronting all the odds.
“I firmly believe we will march ahead generation after generation, keeping our heads held high,” Sheikh Hasina said.
Conspiracy:
The prime minister, however, said anti-Bangladesh and anti-Liberation elements were reactivating staying at home and abroad to thwart the country’s march forward despite the development spree.
“They are trying to mislead people with false, fabricated and imaginary information on social networking sites. They are also trying to make our development partners in foreign countries misunderstand us,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina urged people remain alert against these elements and not to allow them to play with the fate of Bangladesh’s people.
The prime minister said the development journey could not be hampered as the Awami League is always with the people, as it believes that the people are the sources of all power.
Corruption, communalism and militancy:
Sheikh Hasina visibly outlined the governance policy at the onset of the fourth year of her government announcing that it would take tougher stance particularly against the three menaces --- corruption, communalism and militancy.
“We have taken a tougher stance against corruption. No corrupt elements irrespective of party affiliation and whatever powerful they might be are not or will be spared,” she said.
The premier said the Anti-Corruption Commission was working independently to lash out corrupt elements but added that a social campaign was simultaneously necessary to whip out “the disease”.
She said Bangladesh handled militancy with an iron fist under an announced “zero tolerance” policy against the menace and simultaneously her government was committed to uphold the country’s tradition of interfaith harmony as a secular country.
“Followers of different religious faiths are living together maintaining mutual tolerance and will do the same in future as well,” Sheikh Hasina said.
Development Plan
The Prime Minister said Awami League had announced a manifesto titled "Bangladesh on the Path to Prosperity" before the Eleventh Parliamentary Election in 2018, aiming to build a hunger-poverty-illiteracy free non-communal Bangladesh through establishing an efficient, service-oriented and accountable administration and wiping out terrorism-militancy.
Bangladesh will be an upper middle-income country by 2031 and a high-income prosperous country by 2041, she said, referring to the Eighth Five Year Plan (2021-2015) which is being implemented at an estimated cost of Tk64,95,980 crore.
Sheikh Hasina added that generation of around 116,70,000 sources of employment has been targeted in this period, while the poverty rate will come down to 15.6% and extreme poverty rate to 7.4% after the implementation of the Eighth Five Year Plan (EFYP). She continued that in the last year 2025, the GDP growth rate would be 8.51%.
In addition to the EFYP, implementation of the 10 initiatives to help alleviate poverty will continue, the premier said.
Mega Infrastructures
Mentioning that 2022 will be a milestone for Bangladesh in terms of infrastructure development, Sheikh Hasina said the government are going to inaugurate the much-awaited Padma Bridge in June. The bridge has been completed with the country's own funds after overcoming many conspiracies and obstacles.
She said the bridge is expected to contribute 1.2% to GDP and will connect the southern part of the country directly with other regions, including Dhaka.
Besides, she said the government plans to launch the 14km metro rail from Uttara to Agargaon by the end of this year. Train movement has already started experimentally, the launch of the service may revolutionize movement in Dhaka.
In addition, she revealed that the country's first tunnel under the river Karnaphuli will be opened in Chittagong next October.
The premier went on to say that work on other mega projects was also going on in full swing and they are expecting the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant , the largest development project in the history of the country involving Tk 113,000 crore, would be commissioned by April next year. The plant has a capacity of 1,200MW.
Power and Energy
The daily power generation capacity stands at 25,235MW, revealed the premier, requesting countrymen to recall their memories regarding the power supply situation before the Awami League government took over in 2009. At that time, the total power generation capacity was 4200MW.
"We have fulfilled our promise ," she said, referring to her commitment of providing electricity to 100% of the people in the Mujib Year.
As part of long-term plans, she said a 1320-megawatt power plant has already been set up in Payra while power plants with a total capacity of 7,800MW are being constructed at Rampal, Payra, Banshkhali, Maheshkhali and Matarbari.
Gas supply to the national grid has been raised to 2,525 million cubic feet from 1,744 million cubic feet in 2009, Sheikh Hasina said, adding that liquefied gas is being imported from 2018 to meet the continuing demand for gas.
She also mentioned that approximately 17 to 103 trillion cubic feet of gas hydrates had been found under the Bay of Bengal, which would help the country meet its energy needs.
Self-sufficiency in Food
Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in food production with the production of granular food grains at 4.55 crore tons, Sheikh Hasina said.
Making public that Bangladesh has stood in third position in the world in rice, vegetable and onion production, she said this revolution in agriculture has been achieved through continued policy support and incentives.
In addition, Bangladesh has also attained self-sufficiency in fish, meat, eggs and vegetables, the premier said, adding that it ranks second in terms of growth rate of fish production in inland open water while ranks first among 11 Ilish fish producing countries.
Transportation and Communication
The head of government said they have integrated rural development into the mainstream development process as the country's villages have always been out of development plans during the tenures of past governments.
She said Awami League in its 2018 election manifesto "My Village, My City" pledged to expand modern urban amenities to every village.
Paved roads have been constructed in almost all the villages across the country, she said, adding that around 66,755km of roads had been developed and 394,000 bridges and culverts had been constructed, along with the construction and expansion of 1,767 Union Parishad complex buildings, 1,025 cyclone centers, and 326 Upazila Complex buildings in rural areas from 2009 to 2021.
Sheikh Hasina said around 458km of national highways have been upgraded to four or more lanes, while work is underway to upgrade another 887km of highways to four lanes and above.
She added that construction of the 46.73km Elevated Expressway from the airport to Kutubkhali in Dhaka will be completed by 2023.
At present, 37 projects are being implemented involving Tk13,371.45 crore with a view to turning Bangladesh Railway into a modern and time-befitting public transport, while feasibility work is underway to set up a circular railway line around Dhaka.
Sheikh Hasina said from 2009 to 2021, over 451km of new railway tracks have been installed and 1,181 kilometer of railway tracks have been rehabilitated along with construction of 428 new railway bridges.
She said the construction work of the 4.8km-long Bangabandhu Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River is progressing fast.
Besides, they have incorporated 12 new state-of-the-art Boeing and Dreamliner aircraft in the fleet of state-own Bangladesh Biman Airlines along with three Dash-8-400 aircraft.
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