Govt working to make every person economically solvent: PM Hasina

Prime Minister and governing Bangladesh Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina Friday said her government has been implementing multi-dimensional programmes to make each of the countrymen economically solvent.

“We have been working to make each of the people financially solvent by taking up multi-dimensional programmes,” she said.

The prime minister made the remarks while exchanging views with members of Dariarkul Village Development Society at Tungipara Upazila Awami League office.

She briefly described the multi-dimensional programmes that include “My House, My Farm”, giving financial grants to the people, universal pension scheme and giving loan without guarantee, proper training for youths to eliminate poverty from the society.

“We have taken many initiatives to improve the living standard of the people by stamping out poverty,” Sheikh Hasina said.

She stressed that if the programmes taken by her government are implemented properly none will remain poor in the country.

Sheikh Hasina also spoke about the need for forming cooperative societies across Bangladesh to ensure micro-savings and thus help to develop Bangladesh.

The prime minister called upon the Awami League leaders to be sincere in increasing food production, eliminate poverty through micro-savings by forming cooperatives in every area. “We are working as everyone can stand on his foot,” she asserted.

The prime minister later distributed agricultural and educational equipments that include ripper machines, fertiliser, laptops, 10 bicycles, 10 rickshaw vans, 30 sewing machines, and financial grant of Tk 40,000 to 38 persons, 10 pairs of pigeon and educational equipment to 38 students from the poor families on the Tungipara Upazila AL office premises.

Sheikh Rehana , the younger sister of the prime minister, was also present at the programme.

Gopalganj deputy commissioner Kazi Mahbubul Alam moderated the function.

Beneficiaries shared their feelings of getting the equipment and financial grants.

Sheikh Hasina, who is the adviser of the Dariakul Village Development Society, appreciated the initiative of reviving the cooperative.

She asked the authorities concerned to spread the idea of forming cooperatives across Bangladesh to make the country self-reliant.

The Dariakul cooperative society was built on 9.05 acres of land given by Sheikh Hasina.

The prime minister stressed the need for increasing food production through cooperatives.

In the cooperative system, the ownership of the land will not be changed while the crops will be divided into three parts, she said.

One each portion of the crops will go to the owner, farmer who gives labour and the cooperatives, Sheikh Hasina said.

The prime minister reiterated her call to use every inch of land to increase food production to cut dependency on others.

She said her government has taken the initiative of universal pension schemes for securing the future life of the countrymen.

“We are not only working for the present but also for the future. The Universal Pension Scheme will secure the future life of its beneficiaries,” the prime minister observed.

Sheikh Hasina called upon her party leaders and activists to include their names in the schemes to secure their future.

The prime minister also called upon each of her party members to plant at least three saplings in the rainy season as part of her party’s tree plantation programme to protect the environment.

Earlier, in the morning, Sheikh Hasina along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and other family members paid rich tribute at the mausoleum of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing floral wreaths.

She also offered prayers to her family members who were martyred on 15 August in 1975.