DHAKA, Nov 1, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the youth to avail opportunities created by the government for self-employment and for creating jobs for others.
“You have to stand on your own feet instead of looking at others for a job. You have to take own initiative for your own employment and create scope for others as well,” she said.
The prime minister was inaugurating the programs of the National Youth Day 2018 and distributing the National Youth Award, 2018 at a function at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here today.
“An entrepreneur can arrange job for more people. The government is also creating scopes for the youth who are the main force to move forward a country,” she said.
She welcomed the youth marking the National Youth Day and appreciated the slogan of the day- ‘Jegeche Jubo Gorbe Desh, Bangabandhur Bangladesh’ (Youths have woken up to build Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh).
On the occasion, the prime minister distributed the National Youth Award, 2018 to 27 youths in various categories in recognition to their outstanding performances for self-employment and for creating jobs for others.
She congratulated the successful youths who received the National Youth Award this year and thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports for including the youth of special needs among the awardees.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder presided over the function while Deputy Minister Arif Khan Joy and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Youth and Sports Zahid Hasan Russell were present as special guests.
Secretary of the ministry of youth Md. Abdullah gave welcome address and on behalf of the National Youth Award recipients, SM Shajahan Siraj of Narayanganj district and Humayara Latif Panna of Madaripur district spoke on the occasion.
Recalling the role of youths in liberating the country, the prime minister said, “We have to build our country through using the talent and strength of the youth.”
“Our youth never vowed their heads to any evil force which is against the country’s independence and sovereignty. Rather, they have made invaluable contribution at every critical moment of the nation,” she said.
“I have great confidence that they will make important contributions in the future to build a hunger and poverty-free prosperous Bangladesh,” she said.
The prime minister said about five million people of Bangladesh are youths and they constitute one-third of the country’s population. “So our main task is to take advantage of our ‘Demographic Dividend’ by involving the youth in the productive activities,” she said adding that the present government has taken a lot of programs to this end.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is very much sincere for the development of the youth and has been making a lot of efforts for their overall welfare, taking new projects and programs on priority basis.
In order to build Digital Bangladesh, she said, mobile computer training is being given to the educated youth in seven divisions. Training in setting up biogas plants is also being given.
The prime minister said new training centers are being set up and expansion of the existing training centers is going on for development of training infrastructure for youths in all districts.
The Youth Policy-2011 will be more helpful in overall development of the youth, she said urging all concerned to formulate an Action Plan and Youth Development Index in light of the policy.
The prime minister said the National Service Program will be gradually expanded across the country.