PM greets nation on New Year’s eve

862

DHAKA, Dec 31, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted the countrymen on the eve of the New Year 2019 in English calendar.

“The outgoing 2018 was a glorious year in the history of the Bangalee nation . . . let the new year bring in all our lives untainted happiness, peace and prosperity,” she said in a message issued on the occasion of New year.

The premier said Bangladesh witnessed glorious success in 2018 in the area of diplomacy maintaining constitutional and democratic continuation and upholding the spirit of the Liberation War.

Terming Bangladesh as the ‘role model’ for development in the world, she said, “We made huge development as per the election pledges in each sector including agriculture, education, health, communications, information technology, infrastructure and power in the last 10 years.”

“We sent Bangabandhu Satellite-1 to the orbit which made us the 57th satellite-tech elite country across the glove,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the annual growth rate of GDP (gross domestic product) hit record at 7.86 percent in the outgoing year which is the highest in the history of Bangladesh while the per-capita income surged to $1751.

“Reducing poverty rates in the country now stands at 21.8% while the extreme poverty rate at 11.3%,” she added.

Mentioning the literacy rate is 73%, she said students are getting free books from now on. She said 90 percent of the people are getting electricity and hopefully they will be upgraded to cent percent within a short time.

Talking about the Healthcare services, she said it is now at every doorstep of the grassroots people, adding that the average life expectancy of people has increased to 72 years.

“Digital Bangladesh is now reality,” she continued.

At the end of the year, the pro-liberation forces are going to form the government once again as Awami league has become the winner of the parliamentary elections, she said, adding that it is the biggest achievement in the outgoing year.

“Let’s build a ‘Golden Bengal’ to be freed from hunger, poverty, illiteracy and communalism as dreamt by the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she added.