Govt began works to devise development plan for 2021-2041: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government began works to formulate plans and action programmes to transform Bangladesh into a developed country during a set timeframe from 2021 to 2041.

"We have started to devise the plan how we want to develop Bangladesh and how we want to look Bangladesh from 2021 to 2041," she told a reception hosted in her honour by the Bangladeshi community in the Australian capital here.

Sheikh Hasina said implementation of various short, mid and long term development plans kept Bangladesh on a process of rapid advancement earning the country’s eligibility to become a developing country.

Bangladesh, she said, by now achieved its development targets required for next six years to keep its status as a developing country and "now we are engaged in devising our plans to become a developed country by 2041”.

"Bangladesh would be a developed and prosperous country by 2041 and we are taking all steps and plans to materialize the vision," the premier said.

Awami League's Australia chapter organized the reception at Sydney's Sofitel Hotel this evening marking the visit of Sheikh Hasina, also the party president, to join the Global Women's Summit-2018 which conferred her Global Women's Leadership Award for the year as well.

The premier urged everybody to remain careful so the war criminals, killers and the forces having no faith in country's development could never come to power and nothing could dislodge Bangladesh from its ongoing development process.

Sheikh Hasina urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to always remain careful about the country's dignity saying "Wherever you live, you have to work with patriotism to uphold the country's honour which we have earned at the cost of blood".

"We have to pay homage to millions of martyrs through materializing the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandbhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a hunger and poverty free Bangladesh," she said.

Bangabandhu's younger daughter and premier's sister Sheikh Rehana was present at the reception while Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and state minister for women and children affairs Meher Afroj Chumki also spoke on the occasion.

Professor RMIT University of Australia Dr Shamsu Rahman, Awami League leaders Dr. Milton Hasnat, Gama Abdul Kadir, Anisur Rahman Ritu, Pradyut Singh Chunnu and Sirajul Islam addressed, among others, on behalf of the expatriates while reception committee convener Sheikh Shamimul Haque was in the chair.

Leaders of different chapters of Australian Awami League as well as professional and cultural organizations greeted Sheikh Hasina with flowers at the beginning of the event.