২১শে নভেম্বর, ২০২৪ খ্রিস্টাব্দ
সংস্করণ:
The government has successfully implemented Vision 2021 under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister and is now implementing Vision 2041 with the conviction of building a golden Bangla of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream. Through this, Bangladesh is moving ahead with the unstoppable progress towards becoming a knowledge-based society and a developed country by 2041. After the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the country is moving towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. After the formation of the government in 2009, Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina undertook 10 special initiatives to ensure the fundamental rights of all people of the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 10 special initiatives are – Ekti Bari, Ekti Khamar (currently Amar Bari Amar Khamar), Asrayan Prokalpo, Digital Bangladesh, Education Assistance, Women Empowerment, Electricity For All, Community Clinic, Social Safety Program,, Investment Development and Environment Protection. The initiatives are playing a special role in improving the quality of life of the people. These 10 special initiatives have also been included in the Eighth Five Year Plan to improve the quality of life of people.
Amar Bari Amar Khamar: The project Ekti Bari, Ekti Khamar (Palli Sanchay Bank )was approved in November 2009 for implementation from July 2009 to June 2014. Ekti Bari, Ekti Khamar project was later named Amar Bari Amar Khamar. Based on the initial survey the poor people in the villages, providing various skill building training, loans, grants and technical assistance to the members, along with distribution of dairy cows, fish, poultry and crop seeds among the poor. Asrayan Prokalpo: Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman launched the homeless rehabilitation program in 1972. Following in the footsteps of Bangabandhu, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the initiative to give ownership of houses and land to the homeless and landless through the Asryan scheme in 1997. Ownership of land is given to both husband and wife and registration and mutation of land is also given in the name of both husband and wife. A total of 8 lakh 29 thousand 607 families have been resettled since 1997 under the Asrayan Prokalpo. Digital Bangladesh: Bangladesh has achieved a revolution in the spread of modern information technology through the implementation of Digital Bangladesh . More than 16 thousand entrepreneurs are currently working in about 8 thousand 800 digital centers across the country to deliver services to people’s doorsteps, where 50 percent are women entrepreneurs. So far citizens have received more than 80 crore services from the digital center. As a result, citizens have been able to save more or less 78.14 percent working hours, 16.55 percent expenses and 17.4 percent transportation. Digital Center has changed the outlook besides simplifying the standard of living of the common people. Digital services are gradually expanding across the sector. People now believe that it is possible to get all kinds of services near the house. The use of information technology is spreading at an unimaginable speed. Before 2009, no government service in Bangladesh was digital. Digital Bangladesh is no longer a dream but a reality. Education Assistance: One of the steps taken by the Bangladesh government to spread education at all levels is the program of free distribution of books to 100% of the students. A stipend system has been introduced from primary to secondary level to promote women’s education. The government has brought 100% children under the stipend with the aim of creating a smart generation of the future. As a result, more than 13 million children are getting free education. In 2006, the signature rate was only 45 percent and during the current government’s tenure, it increased by 31.8 percent to 76.8 percent in 2023. In 2006, the primary education rate for girls was 54 percent and has increased to 98.25 percent at present. In 2006 there were only 9 technical training centers and currently there are 96 technical training centers. In order to ensure the education of poor and meritorious students who are deprived of educational facilities, the “Educational Assistance Trust Act, 2012” has been enacted and the “Educational Assistance Trust” has been formed. The main aim of the government is no student should be deprived of education due to lack of funds. Women Empowerment: Bangladesh is a role model for the developing world today in women’s empowerment. In recognition of this, Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was awarded the UN Women ‘Planet 50:50 Champion’ and the Global Partnership Forum ‘Agent of Change Award-2016’. For her commitment to women’s empowerment and women’s education, the Prime Minister received the UNESCO ‘Peace Tree’ award in 2014 and was honored with the Honorable Prime Minister’s Global Women’s Leadership Award-2018. In terms of women’s empowerment, the position of Bangladesh is now 7th in the world. According to the latest Labor Force Survey 2022, the participation rate of women in the labor force is now close to 43 percent, up from 29 percent in 2006 and 36.3 percent in the 2017 survey. But in India this rate is only 20 percent and in Pakistan is 22 percent. The expansion of women’s education has played a major role in women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. Electricity For All : In 2006, the power generation capacity was 3782 MW. During the current government, it has increased to 28 thousand 134 MW. At the same time, per capita electricity generation has increased from 220 KWh to 602 KWh. The number of subscribers is 4 crore 54 lakh. With honesty, courage and foresight, in just 13 years, countries with 40 percent electricity have come under 100 percent electricity. Community Clinic: To ensure universal health care, the government has established more than 14 thousand community clinics to deliver health care at the doorsteps of the people. 30 types of medicines are being given free for women, children and service seekers. As a result, the average life expectancy of people has increased. In 2006 the maternal mortality rate (in lakhs) was 370 and in 2023 it has reduced to 161. In 2006, the infant mortality rate (per thousand) was 84 and under the current government, it has reduced by four times to 21 in 2023. All this has become possible due to bringing healthcare to people’s doorsteps.
Social Safety Program : The main goal of the government is to build a social security system by providing special benefits to the helpless and backward people of the society. The government has allocated Tk 1 lakh 26 thousand 272 crore for this sector in the budget of the financial year 2023-24 which is 11 percent more than the last financial year. More or less one-third of the people of the country have come under the social security system.
Investment Development: In the ease of doing business index, the position of Bangladesh is 168th among 190 countries in the world as of 2022, which was 176th in 2021, that is, Bangladesh has advanced eight steps in this index. Every year the World Bank determines how difficult or easy it is to do business in a country. World Bank prepares this index every year based on 10 sectors. As a result of the development of the index, the amount of investment will increase, the standard of living of the people will increase, so Bangladesh is working for this purpose to provide the highest service to the investors in the development of Bangladesh.
Environment Protection: Water pollution, air pollution, control of noise pollution, prevention of land degradation, management of environmentally sensitive areas and climate change impact and weight level protection and mitigation of environmental pollution problems . Government is implementing Plastic Action Plan 2030 to control deadly pollution like plastic. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2021 and E-Waste Management Rules, 2021 have been issued to bring hazardous waste and chemical waste under sound management. These initiatives will play an important role in protecting the environment.
The commitment of the government to make Bangladesh a capable state is beginning to be visible. The people of the country have already started getting its long-term benefits. Developed Prosperous Bangladesh and Safe Delta Plan by 2041 has been formulated. As the first step in the journey of developed Bangladesh, Bangladesh has been promoted from a less developed country to a developing country. Bangladesh’s goal now is Smart Bangladesh. By 2041, an affordable, sustainable, intelligent, knowledge-based, innovative, smart Bangladesh will be built on the four main foundations of Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society.
Writer: Dr. Nahid Karim Khan, Economist and Consultant.
PID Feature
