Make the best use of education: PM to students
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the students of all levels to make the best use of their scope of education through paying the maximum attention to their academic activities.
"I request all the students to utilise your scope of education through paying highest attention to the academic activities not diverting your interest to any other means. Alongside education, you could flourish your talents through games and sports, cultural practice, reading of books and literature," she said.
The premier was addressing a function after distributing cheques and special donations among fellows, researchers and young scientists of Bangabandhu Fellowship, NST and science and technology research at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
About the 'Bangabandhu Fellowship on Science and ICT' project, Hasina announced that this project will soon be turned into a Trust so that no one can halt or deter its activities in the future.
The Ministry of Science and Technology undertook the project in memory of Bangabandhu with an estimated cost of Tk 85.95 crore till December 2016.
The prime minister said those who would reach the highest peak of knowledge must be aware of moral values and knowledge about contemporary history and the world.
Reiterating that maintaining peace is the goal of her government not conflict, Hasina said, "We'll have to free the country from illiteracy and make it knowledge-based one."
From the Bangabandhu Fellowship on Science and ICT project, she said, some 50 people completed MS programmes while 60 PhD abroad, 100 obtained PhD in the country and 11 received post-doctoral research fellowships.
The ministry is also providing 'National Science and Technology Fellowship' to the MPhil, PhD and post-PhD students as fellowship worth Tk 31.20 crore has been provided to some 4,872 young researchers from fiscal year 2009-10 to fiscal year 2014-15.
An amount of Tk 8,33,63,300 will be provided to some 1,438 researchers in the current fiscal year.
As research grants in science and technology research, some Tk 57,11,30,000 has been provided against 1372 projects from fiscal year 2009-10 to fiscal year 2014-15. About Tk 12.08 crore will be provided in the current fiscal year against 390 projects.
By the time, the prime minister said, Internet facilities have been expanded across the country, while the launching of the Bangabandhu Satellite within the next one or two years would usher in a new area in the ICT.
Referring to her government’s success in different sectors and raising per capita income to $1316, Hasina said, "There is no magic, rather our dutifulness, love and affection for the country and the nation have made it possible. The young generation and the children would have to be built with such love and affection."
The prime minister said works are going on to set up two more medical universities in the country apart from the lone Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
She said medical universities will be set up gradually in each divisions while the medical colleges will be made affiliated to those universities to maintain their standards of education.
Hasina said the government has taken various steps, including 'Higher Education Development Project' with an outlay of Tk 752.66 crore, already get connected with the global knowledge pool through high speed internet at a cost of Tk 332.14 crore, increased the research motivation projects for the university teachers to 1,282 from 497, increased budget allocation to Tk 2119.86 crore from Tk 896.26 crore in higher education, for improving the standards of higher education and research.
Chaired by Science and Technology Minster Architect Yeafesh Osman, the function was addressed, among others, by Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman on Science and Technology Dr AFM Ruhal Haque.