Defying odds, Bangladesh marching on

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that Bangladesh was marching ahead despite numerous obstacles, and that the country would still go a long way.

"I hope that the Sonar Bangla as dreamed by the Father of the Nation will one day stand tall among all other nations," Hasina said, giving her speech on a proposal to hold a special discussion on the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence.

The proposal, tabled by Hasina yesterday, is expected to be adopted today after two days of deliberations.

Bangladesh is marking the 50 years of its independence from Pakistan this year. 

Recalling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's return to Bangladesh after liberation, Hasina, Bangabandhu's eldest daughter, said, "We were waiting for our father to come home…. But he put the people of the country above everything else."

Highlighting the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, she said crores of people have already received vaccines. There will be no shortage of vaccines. We will bring 80 percent of the population under vaccination."

Earlier, Hasina placed the proposal to hold a special discussion on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence.

"In this historic moment of observing the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence, our commitment will be to take Bangladesh to a dignified position on the world stage by transforming it into a "Sonar Bangla" free from poverty and hunger, repression and discrimination, and a developed and prosperous country, overcoming all the challenges, as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said.

At the beginning of the day's session, President Abdul Hamid gave a commemorative speech for the occasion, with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

In her proposal, Hasina also pointed out that the celebration of the Golden Jubilee was a glorious landmark for the nation, as Bangladesh is now considered a "development miracle." 

She noted that Jatiya Sangsad was the centre of parliamentary democracy, and said the House had been playing an "effective role" in fulfilling the nation's aspirations by "ensuring transparency and accountability" of the government.