SANGSAD BHABAN, Feb 4, 2020 (BSS) – Lawmakers today said Bangladesh is now moving towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) after achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Ensuring the fundamental rights— food, cloth, shelter and education, the country is now marching forward as a prosperous nation, they said while taking part in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on President’s January 9 address delivered in the House.
Awami League lawmakers Sahara Khatun, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, Sayeda Zakia Noor, Mohammad Ebadul Karim, Ayesha Ferdaus, Nadira Yeasmin Jolly and Abdul Matin Khasru, Jatiya Party lawmakers Md Nurul Islam Talukder and Ahsan Adelur Rahman took part in the discussion with Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah in the chair.
Taking part in the discussion, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan highlighted the government’s success in the last 11 years and said Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in all sectors during that time.
Referring to different projects that have already been taken for expansion of the rail links up to the upazila level, Sujan said, “We have taken a project to construct a rail bridge at 300 meters upstream of the existing Bangabandhu Bridge on the Jamuna River with the financial assistance by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)”.
All processes, including tender, have already been completed, he informed the House, saying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the construction work of the bridge on March 14.
“We hope that we can establish direct rail communication with India from Dhaka to Siliguri by June next,” the railways minister said.
Besides, Dhaka and New Delhi have agreed to run the Maitree Express, on Dhaka-Kolkata route, five days a week instead of four from February 11 and Bandhan Express, on Khulna-Kolkata route, two days a week instead of one from February 16, Sujan added.
Bangladesh has already inked an agreement with the USA to buy 40 broad-gauge engines, he said, adding, “As per the agreement, we hope, Bangladesh Railways will receive the engines between March 2021 and February 2022. Besides, we will get 10 meter-gauge engines by June this year and 20 more engines within the next year”.
The government is also working to increase the railways speed from existing 60 kilometers per hour to 100 or 130 kilometers, he said, adding that project is underway for digitization of the railway sector.
Treasury bench lawmaker Abdul Matin Khasru, taking part in the discussion, demanded trial of the masterminds behind the assassination of Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Besides, he stressed on increasing the number of judges into double to reduce the case log and increase allocation two times for the judiciary.
The lawmakers thanked the President for his time-worthy speech, saying that President Abdul Hamid in his 163-page speech has projected the government’s success in all sectors in the last 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and outlined the government’s future plans for transforming the country into a developed and prosperous one by 2041.
Highlighting the President’s speech on the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the lawmakers said celebration of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary will remain as a milestone in the country’s history.
The lawmakers congratulated the newly elected mayors of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Md Atiqul Islam respectively on their victory.
Earlier, the lawmakers paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his sacrifice and contribution to establish an independent Bangladesh.
They also paid rich tributes to the national four leaders and martyrs of the 1975 carnage and the Language Movement.