Do not fall into the trap of the brokers: PM

Dhaka: Terming the huge youth force as the biggest asset of the nation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government wants to utilize the force for the country’s socioeconomic development through providing proper training to them. News BSS.
“We want our youth force to maintain distance from militancy and drug addiction, lead a healthy and beautiful life and keep their families in peace and comfort,” she said.

The Prime Minister also said her government has undertaken various plans to present a better life to the youth community as the youths are the golden citizens of the nation. “I hope that the Ministry of Youth and Sports would work with utmost efficiency and implement its ongoing projects to achieve the goal,” she said.

The Prime Minister was delivering her introductory speech at a meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports at Bangladesh Secretariat here this morning.

State Minister for youth and Sports Biren Sikdar delivered the welcome address, while Deputy Minister of the Ministry Arif Khan Joy, PM’s Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Secretary of the Ministry Noor Mohammad and PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhury were present on the occasion.

While talking about ill efforts of the unemployed youths to go abroad in illegal way, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the officials concerned of the ministry to conduct an awareness campaign so that the youths do not go to the “suicidal path” being allured of dream life.

The people of the country are still being confused after falling into the trap of the brokers to go abroad. “They think they could earn huge money by going abroad. But they fall into great danger after going abroad. The people of the country are still rescued from Malaysian and Thailand forests,” she said.

“So a massive campaign should be carried out so that the people of the country do not go in this way and fall into the trap of the brokers,” she said.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina highlighted her government’s different steps including setting up Karmasangstan Bank and Probashi Kalyan Bank so that the people don’t require to sell their land and other property to go abroad.

About the development of games and sports, the Prime Minister said the government is implementing a project to construct mini stadiums in 490 upazilas of the country for further flourishing the games and sports.

“These stadiums would be open so that the people could watch the games from the outside and get encouraged in sports and games,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government is constructing new stadiums, gymnasiums and swimming pools side by side with renovating and modernising the sports infrastructures and upgrading the divisional stadiums to international standard for further development of sports and games.

She said interschool sports competition is being held every year to create competitiveness among the children in games and sports.

Highly appreciating the role of the youths in nation-building, she said Bangladesh could achieve its desired goals only through utilising their potentials.

She said to bring confidence among the youths as well as to flourish their talents from their childhoods, they should get involved in games and sports. “Our government is implementing different programmes to this end,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now the safest place in the global map following its successful arrangement of international sports events as well as participation of country’s players in the international sports meets.

In this context, she underscored the need for highest application of the acquired knowledge and experiences of the official and employees of the ministry and asked them to work with utmost sincerity and honesty to achieve the desired goal.

Describing various efforts of her government for the overall development of the youth and sports sectors, she said a huge employment opportunity has been created for the unemployed youths while the country achieved gold medals in a number of international sports competitions.

In this regard, she especially mentioned the wining of a large of medals including 21 gold medals by the physically-challenged players of the country in Special Olympic held in the USA.

She said Bangladesh also did well in the field of games and sports since 2009, she said adding that players of the country have proven their outstanding performance through winning various international sport competitions.

“The nation achieved one day status and Test status from the ICC during the tenure of Awami League government,” she mentioned.

Placing importance on training of the youths, the Prime Minister said her government has taken steps to construct Youth Development Academy in all upazilas to provide proper training to them so that they become self-reliant.

The Prime Minister also asked the sports federations of the country including cricket board to send teams abroad much earlier before the schedule so that they get adjusted with the weather of the foreign nations.