Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the party leaders to prepare a framework, concept paper or guideline for next generation to run the country towards advancement in future.
“We [Awami League leaders] have to take the responsibility [to find ways] for the next generation on how to run the country and advance it towards development, not only in present days but also in the future. So, we will have to take preparation for that from now,” she said.
The Awami League President gave the directives at the party’s presidium meeting held on Wednesday at the Ganobhaban, the official residence of the PM.
According to meeting sources, all the leaders of ruling Bangladesh Awami League have been directed to work together to strengthen the party’s organisational activities from the central to the root level.
They have also been directed to launch organisational tours across the country and hold councils of different units.
Meeting sources said Sheikh Hasina directed all the AL presidium members to launch countrywide organisational tours. The leaders have been asked to form teams in-coordination with the leaders in-charges of different divisional units of the party.
The sources said Sheikh Hasina also directed holding of councils to all those units which remain pending for long time.
The sources said party's General Secretary ObaidulQuader has been instructed to announce full committees of different units, including Dhaka City (North) Unit of Awami League and other associate bodies of the organisation soon.
Chaired by party chief Sheikh Hasina, the closed-door meeting was attended among others, by presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Matia Chowdhury, Dr Abdur Razzaque, Faruk Khan, Nurul Islam Nahid, Abdul Matin Khasru, Abdul Mannan Khan, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman.
The meeting started at10:00am and ended at 1:00pm. At the beginning, Sheikh Hasina delivered an introductory speech while other leaders spoke later.
At the introductory speech, AL President Sheikh Hasina instructed everyone to work for the victory of the party candidates in the by-elections to five parliamentary seats. She also directed them to remain vigilant so that the election is fair and acceptable to all.
At the meeting, Sheikh Hasina said efforts of the government as well as her party are to serve the people of the country standing beside them.
She thanked the leaders and activists of Awami League, Juba League, BCL and Krishak League, and government officials and personnel of law-enforcement agencies for their cooperation to help people in this crisis period.
As Awami League is in power, the party leadership believes welfare of the common people at this crisis moment is a priority job. "Had there been any other party in power, it would never do the same thing. Instead, they would try to gain some benefits cashing in on this crisis, but we’re working hard with utmost sincerity."
She mentioned that this is the policy of Awami League as taught by the Father of the Nation.
Talking about suspending all the programmes of celebrations of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said that the safety and lives of people come first and which is why the government is holding its programmesin virtual arrangements.
Sources said the meeting also discussed in details about what to do if the COVID-19 increases further for the second time. It also discussed about the advance preparations.
At the meeting, presidium members expressed their own views and suggested what to do for strengthening party’s organisational strength and speeding up its organisational activities.
BSS adds: The premier said what the AL government is now doing might be amended or changed for the demand of time.
“We know the change will happen. Despite the fact, if a framework or a concept paper or a guideline has before (the next generation) then it will be easy to do any work for them whoever comes to power,” she said.
To this context, the prime minister reminded all that “how much time else I can continue (running the state)” as she is now 74, adding that they will have to prepare the guideline relating to running the country as the next generation couldn’t lose their direction.
Referring to the increase in remittance inflow and forex reserve due to the government’s timely measures in the face of the apprehension of declining, the premier said, “At this point our economy is in by and large good position.”
She added: “None could think that our remittance will increase. It is increasing as we’re giving two percent incentive (for sending remittance) and our reserve now stands at USD 39.4 billion.”
Mentioning that said they have announced a huge budget of over Taka 5 lakh core, she said, “Announcing such a huge budget is not a small matter. We don’t know how much we can do (in case of implementing the budget) in the face of coronavirus, but my desire was to have preparations to this end. If things go well, we’ll be able to achieve it completely. If it’s not, then we’ll see…but we won’t step back. We placed our budget to keep our economy moving.”
She said they have fixed a 6 percent deficit in the budget although they had thought of making it 10 percent if required, but it was not required.
Speaking about losing jobs by expatriate Bangladeshis amid the pandemic, the premier said, “It is becoming a problem for us as many Bangladeshi lost their jobs. But we are returning them back by special flight as they are the citizens of our country.”
Sheikh Hasina referred to a forecast of prolonged floods in the country and said, “There was a forecast of a protracted flooding while some rivers are still overflowing. Riverbank erosions (due to the flood) have taken a turn for the worse. We’re taking steps in this regard, we’re trying hard.”
In this context, the premier said the Delta Plan-2100 has mainly been formulated to reduce the river erosion by ensuring navigability of the major rivers and other ones after conducting their dredging.
The Prime Minister spelled out various measures taken by her government since the very beginning of the crisis arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and said they have announced various stimulus packages, handing over cash and other assistances to keep moving the country’s economy and ease sufferings of the people particularly of the farmers, labourers, teachers and others.
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the Awami League said, “As the Awami League is in power at this moment, it has thought for the welfare of the common people and helped them in that way. No other part will do this. They rather would think on how they can benefit from it. But we have been working sincerely for the welfare of the people.”
The premier said that the Awami League has an economic policy as a political party, adding, “We have been working keeping it in the mind. We take every measure in line with the party’s economic policy.”
In this regard, the premier referred to the formulation of first perspective plan from 2010-2020 and the second perspective plan 2021-2041, Delta Plan-2100 and announcement of a huge budget.
Noting that an abnormal situation has been created due to the coronavirus and normal livelihoods are being hampered across the globe, the premier said, “Despite the fact, we have been trying to keep running the wheels of the country’s economy.”
Apart from the coronavirus pandemic, she said that her government has to face natural calamities like flooding and cyclone Amphan.
“We have been able to face the challenges as we have taken timely and effective measures to this end,” she continued.
She went on saying that they have opened mills and industries in phases as the country’s export had reached a standstill position at a point of time when the country’s industries remained closed and announced special stimulus packages for the small, medium and large industries to keep running their wheels.
The premier said stimulus packages have also been announced for the agriculture as part of the move to ensure food security as she apprehended that the world might have faced food crisis and famine due to the onslaught of ongoing COVID-19.
At the outset of the discussion, a minute’s silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memories of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of the August 15 carnage, martyrs of the August 21, 2004 grenade attacks and the leaders and activists who died recently, particularly AL Presidium Members Mohammad Nasim and Advocate Sahara Khatun.
Meanwhile, Awami League general secretary ObaidulQuader has asked all the secretaries of the central executive committee to submit the list of sub-committees within the next week.
He said the committee should be submitted in consultation with the chairmen of the concerned sub-committees. At the same time, those who have not yet submitted the list of full committees to the districts where the conference was held will have to submit it by next week.
Obaidul Quader made the announcement at a briefing held at his official residence after the presidium meeting ended. He said his announcement was as per the directives of party chief Sheikh Hasina.