BSS-48 PM-VIEW EXCHANGE 3 LAST LONDON

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BSS-48

PM-VIEW EXCHANGE 3 LAST LONDON

About the BNP’s debacle in the last general elections, the prime minister said the party did not take the polls as a competition, rather it took it as a “nomination trade”.

“They’ve given nominations to a number of candidates in a single seat and they excluded prospective candidates who had chance of winning election,” she said.

The Awami League chief said her party secured a landslide victory in the polls as the women and young people cast vote in favour of “boat” in a huge number.

Highlighting the country’s tremendous socioeconomic development over the last 10 years, Sheikh Hasina said her government is working hard to fulfill the basic needs of the people.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been able to bring down poverty rate to 21 percent from 41 percent. “The country expects 8.13 percent GDP growth in the current fiscal year thanks to various pragmatic steps of our government,” she said.

The prime minister expressed her determination that there will not be a single person to remain homeless. “Nobody lives in a hut now,” she said.

About the development of education, Sheikh Hasina said the government framed a time-befitting education policy and is distributing textbooks free of cost up to the secondary level.

She said Qaumi madrasas were neglected for a long time. “But we have recognised the Dawrae Hadith under Qawmi Madrasa Education Boards as equivalent to Masters Degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic,” she said.

The prime minister said the government has introduced mid-day meal under the voluntary school-feeding programme.

In this connection, she urged all including expatriates to come forward to supplement the government efforts.

Sheikh Hasina reaffirmed her determination to build Bangladesh as a middle income country by 2021 and hunger and poverty-free developed and prosperous one by 2041. “We’ll celebrate Mujib Year from 2020-2021,” she said.

The prime minister said her government framed the Delta Plan-2100 to present a beautiful future to the next generations and started is implementation. “We’re executing the 7th five-year plan and going to frame the 8th five-year plan,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina recalled the contributions of expatriates Bangladeshis to the country’s economy. “The country’s economy has been stood on a strong footing as they send huge amount of remittances to the country every year,” she said.

At the outset of her speech, the premier greeted the countrymen including the expatriate Bangladeshis on the occasion of holy Ramadan.

She also extended Eid greetings to them in advance.

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