Awami League government has liberated the media, opened the door for private television channels and newspapers, taken strong stance against terrorism and militancy, brought lactating mothers, disable and old age people, autistic children under the social safety net program, arranged allowances for oppressed women, provides stipends for disabled people and students, sends maternity allowance online.
These achievements and beneficiary projects taken up by the government were listed out by ruling Awami League advisor member and Prime Minister’s Political Adviser HT Imam.
Imam came up with the claims at a conference titled "Justice for All: Rethinking Political Development for Stability and Peace” organized by the Policy Research Institute (PRI) at Banani on Thursday.
The present government has liberated the media and never tried to curtail press freedom nor restrict freedom of speech, everyone has the right to say what he or she wants to say, said Imam.
In 1996, there was only one television channel, BTV, and now there are around 40 television channels operating in Bangladesh. We have more than four thousands print newspapers in country, he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said there is no place for militancy and terrorism. She has announced zero tolerance towards terrorism and militancy.
Around 50 million people have been brought under the social safety net programs, most of them being women, he added while speaking as chief guest in the first session of the conference.
How many countries in the world have allowance for lactating mothers, disabled, old people and autistic children, he questioned. “In Bangladesh these people are now getting an allowance under government's social safety net. The program has created vast support during the last ten years. Now several hundreds of women are beneficiaries of the programs.”
The number of recipients of old age allowance is 3.5 million, widow and oppressed women allowance is provided to 1.27 million, disability allowance to 825,000, education stipend for students with disability to 10,000 at both primary and secondary levels and maternity allowance to 600,000, he added.
To encourage mothers to send their girls to school, the government is giving stipends to mothers ranging between Tk300 and Tk1,000.
Allowance is sent to 102 million mothers directly to their own account online.
This is the largest program taken up by Bangladesh which is now being inquired by other countries,” said HT Imam, also the co-chairman of Awami League election working committee.
The existing MCQ system under National Curriculum and Textbook Board has been abolished as it was not acceptable by all. Now a new system is under consideration.
Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, former alternative governor for Bangladesh at the World Bank and ADB attended the second session as chief guest.
Dr Zillur R Khan, chairman of International Political Science Association (IPSA) presented the key note paper titled ‘Striving for Justice: Resolving contradictions in political development’ at the conference.
Tasmima Hossain, editor of daily Ittefaq, Dr Ataur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Political Science Association, Mark Farha from Switzerland, Ashikur Rahman, senior economist of PRI, Ahrar Ahmed, Mohammad Parvez Imdad discussed the key note paper as panellists while PRI Chairman Zaidi Sattar and PRI Executive Director Ahsan H Mansur chaired the sessions.
