Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said she came to power only for giving the people a beautiful life and vowed to transform Bangladesh into a country of having per capita income at least US$ 12,000 by 2041, urging all concerned to remain alert as conspiracies are being hatched against the country’s advancement.
“We have been able to achieve our per capita income US$ 2824. But, we don’t want to remain stagnant there. We have to attain at least US$ 12,000 per capita income by 2041,” she said.
She was addressing as the chief guest of the annual conference 2023 of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association (BASA) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here this evening.
The prime minister said Bangladesh has become 35th largest economy in the world despite the global recession steaming from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Bangladesh has made 5 steps up in the global economic index despite the global situation which in no way is a small thing, she said and called upon all to be alert as conspiracies are being hatched against the development of the country.
“There might have many conspiracies and plot as the country advances towards the development because many people did not want Bangladesh’s independence. That’s why those who did not want our independence will not like the country’s development,” she said.
Referring to the construction of the Padma Bridge with its own finance overcoming the conspiracies, the prime minister vowed that Bangladesh must march towards advancement confronting all the hurdles that included conspiracies.
Sheikh Hasina said she is coming to power to give something to the people rather than to get something.
“I once again want to say that I come to (power) not to take something, but to do a work only and give something to the people of Bangladesh. My only target is to present the countrymen a developed and beautiful life,” she added.
Describing the fresh BCS officers of administration as the soldiers of 2041, she said they are entrusted with transforming Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041 and giving the people an improved life as envisioned by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The prime minister gave credit to the officers to achieve the status of a developing country with facing the challenges that have been arisen from the Covid-19 outbreak.
She said she found the government officers sincere in performing their professional duties since assuming office.
The prime minister called for building an efficient workforce with high technological knowledge to cope with the fourth industrial revolution.
Sheikh Hasina, also president of the Awami League, recalled the gun attack on her and her party men at a public rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram on 24 January in 1988 in which 30 leaders and activists of her party were killed.
The PM said she had narrowly escaped death as a bullet passed over her head while a party activist saved her life by receiving another bullet in his body.
“I have survived miraculously. I have to face such incidents many times. But, I don’t dare to die. I am coming to the power to work for the people and the people are my strength,” she said.
State minister for the Public Administration Ministry Md Farhad Hossain, cabinet secretary Md Mahbub Hossain and PM’s principal secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah spoke at the function.