Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the top officials of the districts to go hard against all criminals irrespective of their political or social identity, saying law and order should be kept normal by any means to go ahead with development.
“We want a peaceful situation to expedite the pace of development. Action should be taken against each and every criminal without seeing their face,” she said, adding: “We do not want recurrence of the criminal activities as we have seen before January 5, 2014 election.”
In a video conference with the District Development Committees of Lalmonirhat and Barguna, the prime minister said the government wants quick development of every part of the country to slash poverty by 10% more during its current tenure.
“We want quick execution of the projects undertaken fulfilling the basic needs of the people and overall economic development of the country,” she said. In view of this, the government wanted the cooperation of all, particularly the district level executives, she said.
During the video conference from the secretariat’s cabinet room, the prime minister talked to the officials of the districts and concerned divisional commissioners, local public representatives and the officials of various departments.
Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyn conducted the conference arranged by the Cabinet Division after a weekly cabinet meeting as part of the Prime Minister’s plan to communicate with the grassroots officials and local body representatives to bring dynamism in the administrative and development activities.
The prime minister said the country’s poverty rate declined by 24% during the 2009-2013 tenure of her government. In the current tenure, the government envisaged declining of poverty rate by 10% more.
Hasina said her government wants to change of the fortune of every people and improve their living standard.
So, the government wants proper execution of the social safety net programmes and other projects taken for overall development, she said.
In this regard she asked the officials to give special attention to the proper implementation of the multifaceted programme taken for fulfilling the basic needs of the people. At the same time, attention should be given to the programmes taken for overall development including agriculture, SME, youth welfare and create job opportunities, she said.
The premier said the government wants to make every family independent through implementing the one house one homestead programme. She asked district officials to make list of the homeless people and take arrangement to build home with the fund from the Grihayan Programme.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now self-reliant economically to a large extent. The term “monga” is not heard now in the country’s northern parts where it was a common phenomenon during a particular period every year few years back.
“Now every people of those areas is employed. Economic condition of all areas of the country, particularly the northern districts which once were neglected and poverty-ridden has improved. We heard no news of ‘Monga’ in Rangpur during our previous five-year tenure,” she said.
Talking to the officials of Barguna, the prime minister said the district – situated at the extreme south of the country – was a very inaccessible region. The communications of the district improved remarkably during the period of Awami League government from 1996-2001.
Awami League government, she said, has improved the communication system through constructing roads and culverts, which helped improve overall socio-economic development of the area. The Barguna district was also a disaster prone area which is always hit by any natural disaster, affecting the lives and livelihood of the people, she said.
Hasina said her government has identified the problems of every district, upazila and union, and chalked out development programmes. She added that her video conferences with two far-flung districts are manifestation of the execution of the pledge of building a Digital Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina said the present government has discovered the prospect of the country’s southern belt surrounded by Barisal, Barguna and Patuakhali. The government has embarked on massive development programmes in that area, she said, adding that the Paira Port has come to existence and a naval base is being constructed.
Assuring the local people to take more projects for development of Barguna district, the premier said the government would work for overall development of the area including improving the communications and introducing ferry service to travel during monsoon.
“Country’s southern part remained neglected for a long time. Inshaallah, it will not be anymore neglected in future,” Hasina assured, saying everything possible would be done for development of the area. In this regard, she said a cantonment, coal-based power plant, ship-building and ship recycling industries would be developed in the area.
Mentioning her candidacy from a Barguna seat earlier, Hasina said she has a responsibility for the district. She said more multi-purpose cyclone centres would be constructed in Barguna to protect the people from natural disasters.
She also asked the local representatives to visit the area’s community clinics from time to time to ensure that people were getting healthcare services. She also asked them to extend cooperation to complete the construction of a 250-bed hospital being constructed in Barguna.
The prime minister emphasised on creating a greenbelt across the coastal area of the district to protect the area from cyclone and water surge.
“We have to keep in mind that greenbelt can protect us from water surge,” she said, urging the district administration and the coast guard to promote tree plantation and development of greenbelt in the coastal district.
The prime minister urged the district administration officials to take care of the poor Rakhaiyan community and help them maintain their lives and livelihoods.
Talking with the officials of Lalmonirhat, the prime minister said once it was a poverty stricken district. Now the situation has been improved. However, special attention should be given to the extremely poor areas Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Kurigram.
Lalmonirhat would be of great importance when transit with India, Nepal and Bhutan would come into effect, she said.
The upazila chairman of Patgram upazila thanked Hasina for coming to a settlement with India to allow the people of two border enclaves – Dahgram and Angurpota – to move 24 hours. She said the Awami League government constructed the Teesta Bridge during its last spell and took the district for cultivation of maize.
She said the government has started sending blankets for cold-stricken people of the northern district. She asked the officials to give importance to the people above 60 years and disabled persons while distributing winter clothes.
The prime minister said her government has declared Rangpur as a divisional administrative unit and allocated fund for its development. So it was time to build the division under a master plan, she said, asking for taking a long term plan to build a beautiful Rangpur City.
