Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed her strong commitment to pull 12 million people of Bangladesh out of poverty within the MDG timeframe of 2015.
“Our aim is also to achieve the goals of 'Digital Bangladesh' and become a middle income country by 2021,” she said at a function at the Dauphine University in France in the afternoon.
President of the university Laurent Batsch handed over a gold medal and a certificate of diploma to Hasina in recognition of her contributions for 'institutionalising and strengthening democratic process and women empowerment in Bangladesh'.
The PM thanked the university authorities for awarding her the prestigious gold medal and diploma. “This gesture is a rare honour for my country and our 160 million people,” she said.
Hasina said that with the highest budgetary allocation, the government aims to achieve 100 percent school enrolment by the end of this year, and 100 percent literacy by 2014.
The government has a plan to provide girls with free tuition until graduation while three polytechnic institutes have been established for attracting girls to technical education, she said.
In a bid to alleviate poverty, Hasina said the present government has created social safety nets covering pension to widowed and distressed women; “Ashrayan” or homes for the homeless; “One Home-One Farm” for small landowners; ensuring employment of one member from every poor family, and implementing a “National Services Policy” for two years' service for youths, among others.
“Our success in reducing child mortality by 50 percent was recognised by an MDG Award during the 65th UNGA. We are on track on other MDGs, especially on poverty alleviation, universal primary education and gender equality,” she said.
Hasina said Bangladesh is speedily implementing ICT Act and ICT Policy 2009. Internet service is now free for schools, training colleges and local government institutions.
The PM informed the audience that climate change and global warming is the biggest threat for Bangladesh.
She said that to mobilise support against this challenge, she has been meeting Bangladesh's friends all over the world and has also been seeking their support to eliminate poverty and weed out terrorism and extremism from secular Bangladesh.
“The purpose of my life now is to serve my people, my country, and realise my father's dream of 'Sonar Bangla' or golden Bangladesh,” Hasina said.
Members of the academia, scholars and students of the university were present at the function.