Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday told the parliament that one day Bangladesh’s organization would definitely get the “UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize on Creative Economy”.
Taking part in a special discussion on a thanks giving motion under section 147 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament placed by Principal Md. Abdus Shahid, MP, to express gratitude to UNESCO, she said that it was a great honour for Bangladeshi people as the UN body named the prize after the Father of the Nation.
“We want young people of Bangladesh to come up and work like Uganda’s MoTIV Creations Limited. I believe one of the Bangladeshi organizations will get
the prize one day,” she added.
The parliament later unanimously adopted the motion by voice vote with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Leader of the House said the Bangladeshi youths will come forward like Uganda’s MoTIV Creations Limited which has got the maiden prize for their contribution to the creative economy and has been working to boost talent and creativity of their youths in generating employment.
“We have taken a startup programme mainly to create scope for the young generation of Bangladesh,” she said.
The prime minister said her government has been creating the scope for the young people to flourish their talents and creativity.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, MP, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, MP, Deputy Leader of the House GM Quader, MP, Amir Hossain Amu, MP, Begum Matia Chowdhury, MP, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, Nurul Islam Nahid, MP, Rashed Khan Menon, MP, Md. Moshiur Rahman Ranga, MP, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, MP, Fakhrul Imam, MP, Harunur Rashid, MP, Dr Rustam Ali Farazi, MP, Kazi Nabil, MP, and Washika Ayesha Khan, MP, took part in the special
discussion.
Sheikh Hasina said the UNESCO wanted to give the “UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize on Creative Economy” at their (Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana) hands.
“Me and my younger sister Sheikh Rehana were present while I handed over the prize to Uganda’s MoTIV Creations Limited,” she said, adding that Sheikh Rehana welcomed the UNESCO director general with a flower bouquet on behalf of all the Bangladeshi people.
The Prime Minister said the nation is observing the “Mujib Borsho” coinciding celebrations of two mega events the Golden Jubilee of the country’s independence and Birth Centennial of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She added: “Naming the UNESCO prize after the Father of the Nation is very important for us and a great honour to Bangladeshi people while the nation is celebrating the two mega events.”
The Premier also said that she had got a scope to speak at the UNESCO general assembly at its headquarters in Paris.
She also expressed her gratitude to UNESCO for recognizing the 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu by including the speech in the Memory of the World Register as a documentary heritage on October 30, 2017 and recognized February 21 as the world mother language day.
The Prime Minister conveyed her heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the UNESCO personnel for their support in establishing the prize in the name of the Father of the Nation and permanent Bangladesh mission in Paris and its foreign ministry.
Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League, told the parliament that her party has a research wing named Centre for Research and Information (CRI) which was closed in 2001 during the so-called “Operation Clean Heart” conducted by the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
“The CRI later resumed its operation. It has taken an initiative “Young Bangla” to generate employment for the youths through motivation and a startup programme,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said that the initiative is a brainchild of her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq while some lawmakers of her party were also involved in the programme.
“We have given special allocation for the startup programme. If our children want to take newer initiatives, we will help from the fund,” she continued.
The Prime Minister said that the rate of online selling and e-commerce which are part of the creative economy has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh due to various timely and effective measures.
“Nothing is possible in a day. It will be done gradually,” she told the parliament.
Many destructive decisions have been taken in Bangladesh such as rejecting the chance of getting free submarine cable during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, she said.
But, assuming power, the Awami League government has taken measures for development of each of the sectors so Bangladesh can cope with the international community, she said.
In this connection, she said, “We have got international recognition for successfully facing the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Premier said that she told the international community that Bangladesh wants to produce vaccines.
“You (international community) have to open the support to produce vaccines by developing nations by removing all the barriers and declare the Covid-19 vaccine as a global public good as none of the people in the world will leave out of the vaccination,” she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh can produce the vaccine if it is given the chance.
“We have the capability of producing the vaccine and supplying those to other countries. We have so far allocated land for the purpose. We are working in such a way by taking initiatives,” she continued.
Highlighting various measures taken by Bangabandhu and her government for welfare of people and overall development of the country, the Prime Minister said that they are working to transform Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country free from poverty and hunger as envisioned by the Father of the Nation.
