Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the youth to be part of decision-making steps with their ideas and innovations to build a future which would be resilient and sustainable both at this Covid-19 pandemic period and also the post-pandemic one.
"The Covid-19 is forcing both the pace and scale of workplace innovations. These silver linings are thin compared to the scale of the disruptions though," she said, reports UNB.
She made the remarks while inaugurating the two-day celebration of “Dhaka — OIC Youth Capital 2020, and its first event, the Resilient Youth Leadership Summit, from her official residence in Dhaka through a videoconference connecting youths from the OIC countries and beyond.
The theme of this mega event is “Parity and Prosperity: For a Resilient Future.” As many as 250 participants, including 100 from Bangladesh and 150 others from OIC member states and beyond, are taking part in the event, reports BSS.
Hasina said there is now one choice — human being could choose rigidity in economic and executive control or it could choose flexibility and dynamism for innovation and new ideas in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
"Probably, somewhere in the middle lies the proverbial ‘golden mean.’ The youth has the great opportunity to be part of this decision-making by engaging themselves with ideas and innovations to build a future which they think would be resilient and sustainable," she said.
Hasina said the Covid-19 pandemic has placed extraordinary demands on leaders everywhere — governments, private sector, the international community and beyond. "What leadership needs during a crisis is not a predetermined response plan but behaviours and mind-sets of the people involved in the process.”
Terming the pandemic a watershed, she said its aftermath could see a paradigm shift in “restructuring the global economic order” in various means.
Firstly, she said, it intensifies the pre-existing signs of unease, expressed in calls for protectionism and more restrictive trade, immigration and visa policies. But it also highlights the need for global cooperation for the basic survival of humanity.
Secondly, the prime minister said, signs and signals are clear that the Covid-19 crisis could end up surpassing the financial crisis of 2008-09 in economic damage. But it also opens new avenues for networked financing and wealth creation.
Thirdly, she said, there has been economic intervention already on a scale that has not been seen for decades.
By April 10, governments across the globe had announced stimulus plans amounting to over $10.6 trillion — the equivalent of eight Marshall Plans, Hasina mentioned.
"Bangladesh has already announced a $12.1 billion package for vulnerable segments of the population, business and agriculture which is 3.7% of our GDP," she said.
The prime minister pointed that Covid-19 has shown that vitality of the youth must cherished. "It has been observed that people live in cherishing natural environment are fighting this pandemic better. Hence, we must work together to uphold basic features of the environment in our everyday life."
Rohingya crisis
Talking about the Rohingya crisis, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has given shelter to more than 1.1 million Rohingyas forcibly displaced from Myanmar.
She thanked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and all the member states for extending their generous assistance towards one of the most persecuted populations in the world.
"Despite systematic denial, we’re trying to make arrangements for their safe, secure and dignified return to their motherland with the help of the international community," she said.
The prime minister said her government's Vision 2021 for a “Digital Bangladesh” has not only been the blueprint for unlocking digital creativity of the 53 million youths, it succeeded in fast-tracking Bangladesh’s pre-Covid-19 GDP growth rate up to 8.13%.
"Bangladesh has so far made remarkable progress in alleviating poverty, attaining food security, improving health and sanitation and mainstreaming gender and empowering women."
She mentioned that global assessment projects Bangladesh as one of the three fastest growing economies globally over the next three decades. Bangladesh is projected to become the 26th largest economy by 2030, and 23rd by 2050.
OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel, Youth and Sports Minister of Azerbaijan Azad Rahimov, and President of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) Taha Ayhan also spoke on the occasion.
The launching ceremony of this grand event was originally scheduled to be held in Dhaka with the presence of state-level dignitaries and influential youths from all over the world on April 12.
Sheikh Hasina also said that the OIC embodies the aspirations of more than 1.8 billion people around the world.
She warmly welcomed the organizers for launching of the “Dhaka — OIC Youth Capital 2020” ceremonies and thanked the ICYF for choosing Dhaka as the OIC Youth Capital of 2020.
She said she is happy that organizers have decided to launch the “Bangabandhu Global Youth Leadership Award” to honour the true spirit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s everlasting idealism.
