Published on 01:03 PM, April 05, 2014

Get ready for leadership, PM urges scouts

Get ready for leadership, PM urges scouts

PM inaugurates 9th national scout Jamboree

This July 23, 2013 photo shows Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a Deputy Commissioners’ Conference at the International Conference Centre in the Premier’s Office. Photo: BSS
This July 23, 2013 photo shows Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a Deputy Commissioners’ Conference at the International Conference Centre in the Premier’s Office. Photo: BSS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the scouts to get themselves ready for giving leadership to the country by rising above hatred and moral erosion.

"I firmly believe that you would be groomed as worthy citizens by containing the great motto of scouting in all spheres of life and being enlightened with the light of education," she said.

The prime minister said this while inaugurating the Ninth Bangladesh and the First Saarc National Scout Organisations (SNSO) Scout Jamboree at the National Scout Training Centre in Gazipur this morning.

Chairman of Bangladesh Scouts Md Abdul Karim, Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Md Abul Kalam Azad, chairman of the Jamboree Organising Committee Hedayetullah Al Mamun also spoke on the occasion.

The prime minister opened the jamboree by releasing pigeons and balloons. She also witnessed a colourful display of the scouts on Bangladesh's culture and War of Liberation. She later visited the tent area.

As many as 9000 scouts from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are participating in the weeklong jamboree. Sheikh Hasina said the role of the scouts movement is very crucial to build children, juveniles and youths as honest, virtuous, self- confident and ideal citizens.

"Bangladesh Scouts has been acclaimed enormously for their immense contribution to this end," she said.

Mentioning that this year's theme of the jamboree--- "Scouting for Peace and Harmony"--- as time-befitting and encouraging, she said the main mantra of the scout is "always ready". "I hope that the scouts will remain always ready for development, peace and harmony being baptised with this mantra," she said.

The prime minister said the members of the Scouts have been working ceaselessly to encounter all natural disasters of the country.

"Your activities during cyclone, flood and in serving the cold-hit people have been praised by the people," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the members of the scouts also work for tree plantation, sanitation, health education, EPI Programme and awareness about environment. "It is my expectation that you would gear up and expand your service-oriented activities as ideal scouts," she said.

The prime minister said the present world is advancing relying on information technology (IT). "So you will have to take preparation from now to face the challenges of the IT and you will have to build yourselves befitting to modern world," she said.