Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said BNP is so much ashamed as the Padma Bridge has been constructed despite all ill efforts of the party.
“BNP doesn’t want the Padma Bridge. But all people of the country are delighted and they are waiting for the inauguration of the bridge. And the people will crowd along the six kilometers of the approach road of the both sides of the bridge if they are allowed to go there,” he said.
The minister stated these while replying to a query at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the city.
But, Hasan said, BNP wants to create anarchy to suppress people’s enthusiasm over Padma Bridge. They terrorized at Dhaka University, in front of the Supreme Court and other places of the country in the name of movement to divert the people’s attention, he added.
He said BNP is trying to create an unstable situation, vandalize vehicles, and launch arson attack. Such anarchy will be resisted taking the help of the commoners, he added.
The minister said Tareque Rahman and even Begum Khaleda Zia will be responsible if any type of anarchy such arson attack, terrorism or vandalism takes place under the leadership of BNP. So, a question has been raised whether BNP chief Begum Zia will be sent back to prison, he added.
Many demanded to send back Begum Zia to jail, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Replying to another query, the minister said the leaders of Chhatra Dal are of the age of fathers of students. The Chhatra Dal instigated the recent incident and it is normal that the regular students will protest them if they want to enter the Dhaka University campus along with outsiders, he added.
“Are the president and general secretary of Chhatra Dal students? Their age is about 40 and they are father of students,” he said.
Replying to another query over a comment of the BNP secretary general on metro rail, the minister said Mirza Fakhrul came in the role of a doctor during the COVID-19 situation. And now, he becomes an engineer.
At least 10 people were killed and 20 others injured when a passenger bus hit a roadside tree in Sanuhar area under Wazirpur upazila of the district this morning.
The accident took place around 5:30am when the bus of ‘Jamunaline Paribahan’ hit the roadside tree as its driver lost control over the steering. The name of the deceased could not be known immediately, reports our local correspondent quoting Ali Arshad, officer-in-charge of Wazirpur Police Station.
The injured were sent to Barishal’s Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, the OC said, adding that “The death toll is dared to rise.”
Unit leader of Barisal Fire Service Unit Abdur Razzak said two rescue teams are conducting rescue operation on the Dhaka-Barisal highway as it has halted traffic on the route.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said the BNP’s slogan - ‘let the weapons of the 15 August roar once again’ - has exposed its murderous character.
He made the remark while addressing a press conference at his official residence here on Sunday morning.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges, said in the name of holding rallies, the BNP and its allies are creating public sufferings in different parts of the country.
He said the BNP leaders in their statements are not showing any decency or courtesy.
They are also chanting indecent slogans against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which is not tolerable in any way, the AL general secretary said.
He warned that the consequences of chanting indecent slogans against Bangabandhu’s daughter will be terrible.
Quader said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is making remarks that the BNP would not join any polls under the AL government.
“The people of Bangladesh do not accept any arrogant and irresponsible remarks of any individual or group. They do not bow down to the bloody eyes and terror of any conspirator,” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the friendly countries and development partners to join hands in executing the Delta Plan-2100, saying her government has been implementing the plan to ensure a better and improved life for the future generations. “To implement the Delta Plan, cooperation or participation of all at home and abroad—our friendly countries or development partners—are solely needed in every field of knowledge, technology and exchange of experiences, starting from financing,” she said. The prime minister said this while opening a two-day event titled “Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 International Conference: Issues and Challenge of Implementation”, at a city hotel, joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here. The policy makers, researchers, teachers, development activists and development partners from home and abroad are attending the event. Describing the Delta Plan as a techno-economic master plan based on information technology and knowledge, the prime minister said its implementation requires around 2.5 percent of the GDP by 2025. Mentioning that Bangladesh is a delta having 700 rivers and a vast low land area, she said, “We have to build it in such a way so our future generations can live beautifully. We are taking measures in this regard”. She said that despite Bangladesh has no contribution to climate change, it is one of the worst climate affected countries. “We’re taking various short, mid and long term measures keeping in mind the impact of climate change and we’re advancing with a far-sighted plan to protect Bangladesh for future generations,” she said. The prime minister said they’re taking measures in such a planned way that the development of Bangladesh could be sustainable and its economy would further be cemented. Sheikh Hasina said her government has undertaken the Delta Plan-2100 considering 100 years on how Bangladesh would advance towards development and prosperity during the period as it is a disaster prone country. “Bangladesh has to face floods, droughts, tidal surges, cyclones, river erosion, salinity and landslides at regular intervals due to the impact of climate change,” she said. She also said her government is implementing various programmes to ensure food security, accommodation, employment generation, healthcare services and others to protect the lives of the masses. It is necessary to ensure nutrition alongside food security, she said. The premier reiterated that Bangladesh is advancing and would definitely further ahead in the days to come. She said they proved Bangladesh’s advancement running the country’s economy and smoothing people’s lives and livelihoods whereas the world economy is stalled due to the triple blow of the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters and Russia-Ukraine war. “The world is facing an economic meltdown for Covid-19 pandemic and the war. Despite the fact, we’re trying that the people of the country don’t have to face any misery,” she said. She told the august gathering that her government has been offering stimulus packages to keep running the country’s economy and the lives and livelihoods of the people. “We have been able to keep running the country’s economy by giving stimulus packages,” she said. Due to the government’s timely measures, the per capita income of Bangladesh has increased to 2824 US dollars and the country has achieved 7.25 percent growth in the GDP despite the double blow, she said. The prime minister said her government has reached electricity to every house and broadband internet to every village and launched a satellite to the orbit which makes Bangladesh a digital one. “We have been able to keep rolling the wheels of the country’s economy using the digital system and for which we’re advancing forward,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said her government has executed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) successfully and is working to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The General Economics Division of the Bangladesh Planning Commission and Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh are jointly arranging the conference. Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam and Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Anne Gerard van Leeuwen also spoke at the function.