The incumbent government will not indulge any form of extremism or radicalism under any circumstances, Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman has stated.
He said he believes the government will receive the full cooperation of the opposition party in this regard.
At the same time, he expressed hope that national unity will remain intact so that fascism can never rear its head again in the country and the nation cannot be turned into a puppet state.
The prime minister made these remarks on Wednesday, during his valedictory speech at the second session (budget session) of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament).
He outlined various social safety net programmes, plans for transitioning from a debt-reliant economy to an investment-driven economy, and job creation strategies aimed at building a discrimination-free Bangladesh and an accountable welfare state.
“The current government will not indulge any form of extremism or radicalism under any circumstances. Although we, the ruling party and the opposition party, may have differed on certain matters in this parliament, we have concurrently agreed on many issues. I believe the current government will not tolerate radicalism and extremism—and we will receive the full cooperation of the opposition party in this regard,” the prime minister said.
“Each of us firmly believes in a Bangladesh where there will be no room for extremism or radicalism. No one shall strip people of their democratic rights in the name of the spirit of the Liberation War,” the prime minister further said.
Leader of the House Tarique Rahman believes that a degradation of religious, social, cultural, and familial values has occurred in the country. Consequently, he noted that restoring familial values is of paramount importance and expressed hope that every family will fulfil its responsibility in this regard.
The prime minister stated that national unity exists between the opposition and the ruling party on the premise that fascism and autocracy must never again be allowed to rear their heads in Bangladesh, and that this beloved motherland must never be turned into a puppet state. This unity will be maintained at all costs.
Noting that the BNP's 31-point demand has now become the 31-point demand of the people across the country, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated that, similarly, all parties had signed the “July Charter” at the South Plaza of the Parliament. They stand accountable and committed to the public to implement every clause of the July Charter.
Investment-driven economy
The prime minister said, "During the fascist regime, we only heard stories of development. However, during visits to various areas, I found no alignment between those development narratives and reality. The autocrat and their close associates chose the power sector as a means to line their own pockets."
Tarique Rahman stated that the country's economy is fragile, and the world is going through a war. The public's expectations of this government are immense.
"Under such circumstances, we have begun to turn the economy around. We will implement our plans alongside the people," he said.
Seeking the cooperation of all concerned to implement the budget, the prime minister stated that the Bangladesh envisioned by the martyrs can be built if all obstacles are removed from business and trade, corruption is controlled, equitable opportunities are created, and state institutions are brought under accountability.
Referring to plans for job creation and strengthening the economy, the prime minister said, "We want to transform a debt-reliant economy into an investment-driven economy. An investment-driven economy focused on wealth creation will be our main driving force. The current government has planned in such a way that we can approach a trillion-dollar economy by 2034."
Priority on anti-corruption and law and order
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman noted that curbing corruption and maintaining law and order are top priorities for the government.
He stated that during the autocratic regime, US$16 billion were laundered out of the country every year through corruption. Corruption is the root cause of all problems. The current government is determined to control corruption by any means necessary.
He indicated that the government intends to develop the law enforcement agencies into a professional force.
Stating that the current government is accountable to the people, the prime minister said, "We want to build a Bangladesh where the state and the government will be accountable to the public. The economy will be inclusive. The lives of citizens will be secure, dignified, and full of potential."
Health sector destroyed to benefit a certain country
The prime minister alleged that during the fascist-autocratic government, the health sector of Bangladesh was completely destroyed to extend benefits to a specific country. His government's sole objective is the welfare of the country's people. The current government intends to transform Bangladesh into a welfare state where people from every class and profession in society will receive minimum state services.
The prime minister stated that to implement this plan, the government is already working on initiatives including the Family Card and Farmers’ Card. There is a plan to eventually consolidate all these cards into a single card called the “Universal Card”. These benefits are not acts of state charity towards citizens; rather, they are the state's obligation to the people.
The prime minister asserted that to resist future autocrats and puppets, the state and the people must be strengthened both politically and economically.
The prime minister alleged that every organisation, constitutional institution, and sector was destroyed during the fascist-autocratic regime. Among these, the education sector was prominent. During that period, cheating was encouraged. The future of students was ruined through automatic promotions. Even during the interim government, no effective measures were seen to address this. The allocation for the education sector will be increased to five per cent of the GDP over five years.
“For some reason, I feel that the fascist autocracy adopted this policy of destroying the education sector to please a specific group, a specific country,” the prime minister said.
26 working days, 10 bills passed
The parliamentary session, which commenced on 7 June, concluded yesterday, Wednesday. The session spanned a total of 26 working days. The budget was passed on 30 June. A total of 10 bills were passed during the session.
A total of 278 questions were submitted for the prime minister’s response, out of which 35 answers were laid on the table. For the cabinet members of various ministries, 5,031 questions were submitted, and 3,474 answers were provided.
A total of 11 committees, including the Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment, were formed during this session.