Sheikh Hasina
Hasina’s birthday celebrated amid mass vaccination campaign
The 75th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, now in the USA, was celebrated across the country amid a special mass vaccination on Tuesday.
Hasina, the eldest among the five children of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj on September 28, 1947.
The ruling Awami League and its affiliated organisations celebrated the day by holding various programmes, highlighting her life and achievements.
Various programmes like discussions, doa and milad-mahfil, special prayers and photo exhibitions were organised in the capital and elsewhere across the country marking her birthday.
More importantly, a nationwide mass vaccination campaign was conducted on the day targeting to inoculate 80 lakh people on the occasion of Hasina's birthday.
As part of the AL central programmes, a discussion was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital in the morning.
At the function, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina was born for the cause of history, and now she herself is history.
Besides, doa and milad-mahfil were arranged at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and all other mosques throughout the country after Zahr prayers.
Read: PM Hasina’s 75th birthday to be celebrated Tuesday
PM shocked at principal Abdur Rashid’s death
Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of principal Abdur Rashid, eminent educationist and father-in-law of State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Read: PM mourns death of freedom fighter Miaz Uddin
Principal Rashid breathed his last this afternoon at a city hospital. He was 86. He left behind three sons, three daughters and a host of relatives and well wishers.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader also expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Principal Abdur Rashid.
Read: PM mourns death of Abdul Monem
PM Hasina’s 75th birthday to be celebrated Tuesday
The 75th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, will be celebrated across the country on Tuesday.
Sheikh Hasina, the eldest among the five children of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj on September 28, 1947.
Read: GM Quader greets PM on her birthday
Like previous years, Awami League and its affiliated organisations will celebrate the day through various programmes, highlighting her life and achievements.
The Prime Minister is now in the USA as she went there to join the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Marking her birthday, different programmes, including discussions, doa and milad-mahfil, special prayers and photo exhibitions will be organised in the capital and elsewhere across the country.
As part of the AL central programmes, a discussion meeting will be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital at 10am on Tuesday.
Read: 80 lakh people to be vaccinated on PM's birthday
Besides, doa and milad-mahfil will be arranged in Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and all other mosques throughout the country after Zahr prayers.
Special prayers will also be offered at International Buddhist Monastery (Bihar) at Merul Badda at 6:30pm, Christian Association Bangladesh (CAB) Mirpur Baptist Church at 12:01am, Jakmala Rani Church at Tejgaon at 6am and Dhakeshwari Temple at 5pm on the day. The AL central leaders will be present at the programmes, said a press release.
The birthday celebration programmes will be held with maintaining proper health protocol across the country, it said.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader also asked all the AL’s associate bodies, social and cultural organisations and their all-level leaders and activists to celebrate the day through different programmes including discussions, doa-mahfils and special prayers throughout the country.
He also asked the leaders of all AL units up to ward-level to celebrate the day, taking up similar programs maintaining the health codes.
Sheikh Hasina assumed the office on 7 January 2019 for the fourth time after her party Awami League-led grand alliance won the 11th Parliamentary election held on December 30, 2018.
Earlier, she served as Prime Minister for the first time in 1996-2001, second term in 2009-2013 and the third term in 2014-2018. Sheikh Hasina was the Leader of the Opposition in the 4th, 5th and 8th Parliaments.
Hasina spent much of her childhood in her ancestral small hamlet in Tungipara. When Bangabandhu was elected a legislator, his family moved to Dhaka in 1954. She graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973.
Having a checkered political career, Hasina was elected vice president of the Students Union of the Government Intermediate Girls College when she contested as a candidate from Students League.
Later, she served as secretary and then as president of the college unit of Student League. She was also a member of Students League in Dhaka University and became the secretary of Rokeya Hall unit. She actively participated in all mass movements from her student life.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the members of his family was brutally assassinated on the fateful night of August 15, 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were the only survivors as they were in West Germany at that time.
Hasina was unanimously elected as president of Bangladesh Awami League in 1981 in her absence while she was in forced exile. She finally returned home on May 17, 1981 ending her six years in exile.
She faced the wrath of the then rulers on her return as she launched a movement to restore democracy in the country. Hasina was detained time and again, and at least 22 attempts were made on her life.
NDB membership to open new avenue of foreign financing: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has termed Bangladesh's membership in the New Development Bank as a time-befitting achievement that will open a new avenue of foreign financing for the country.
She said it will play a supportive role in achieving the country's development goals.
Bangladesh has joined the New Development Bank (NDB), a multilateral development bank set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), as a member state.
The joining was confirmed after the country submitted its "Instrument of Accession" to the Brazilian government on September 16, said the Bangladesh Permanent Mission at UN Saturday.
Read: PM arrives in New York to attend UNGA
Hasina arrives in Washington
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the Prime Minister, landed at Dulles International Airport at 10:03am (local time), said PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA M Shahidul Islam received her at the airport.
Read: PM joins opening session of 76th UNGA general debate
Earlier, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Rabab Fatima saw her off at the airport in New York at 9:15 am (local time).
The Prime Minister will stay in Washington till September 30.
Read: PM arrives in New York to attend UNGA
Hasina is scheduled to leave Washington for Dhaka on September 30 and return home on October 1, after a short stopover in Finland.
Bangabandhu’s maiden UNGA speech remembered with fondness
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a strong advocate of multilateralism and called the United Nations ‘as the centre of people’s future hopes and aspirations.”
On the very first day of Bangladesh’s journey in the United Nations, Bangabandhu delivered his maiden speech to the UNGA on September 25, 1974.
“Our goal is self-reliance; our chosen path is the united and collective efforts of our people. International cooperation and the sharing of the resources and technology could, no doubt, make our task less onerous and reduce the cost in human suffering,” the Prime Minister quoted Bangabandhu as saying at the UNGA in 1974.
He called for building a world to be free of economic inequalities, social injustice, aggression, and threats of nuclear war.
“These are as relevant today as they were forty-six years ago. As such, we continue to lend our voice and leadership to all those issues that aim to build an inclusive and equal society,” said the Prime Minister.
She termed the current the year 2021 a very special year, noting that this year they are celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence. “This celebration coincides with ‘Mujib Year’, the Birth Centenary of our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”
Read: PM joins opening session of 76th UNGA general debate
The Prime Minister, while delivering her speech at the UNGA for the 17th time, paid her profound respect and homage to Father of our Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose selfless, lifelong struggle and visionary leadership brought us our long-cherished Independence.
Hasina leaves New York for Washington
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left New York for Washington, D.C. by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Saturday.
Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Rabab Fatima saw her off at the airport at 9:15 am (local time), said PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Read: PM joins opening session of 76th UNGA general debate
The flight is scheduled to land in Washington DC at 10:15am (local time). Bangladesh Ambassador to USA M Shahidul Islam will receive her at Dulles International Airport, Karim said.
She will stay in Washington, D.C. till September 30.
Read: PM arrives in New York to attend UNGA
Hasina is scheduled to leave Washington for Dhaka on September 30 and return home on October 1, after a short stopover in Finland.
FM Momen hands over his new book to PM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has handed over his new book titled “Sheikh Hasina: Bimugdho Bismoy” to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Dr Momen handed over the book to the Prime Minister in New York recently, marking her 75th birthday, said a media release on Saturday.
Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy was also present while handing over the book during their stay in New York to attend the UNGA.
PM urges expats to invest in Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the Bangladeshi expatriates living in the USA to make investment in their motherland availing themselves of lucrative facilities offered by the government.
“We make good offers for all (investors). So, our expatriates who’re here can invest in Bangladesh,” she said, replying to a question at a virtual press conference here on Friday.
The Prime Minister joined the conference held at LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel from her place of residence.
READ: UN chief showers praise on Hasina, says Bangladesh a ‘development miracle’
She said the government is setting up some 100 special economic zones in the country and the Bangladeshi expatriates alongside American nationals can invest in the economic zones cashing in on the facilities offered by Bangladesh.
READ: PM blasts those tarnishing Bangladesh’s image abroad
“We’re giving good offers to everyone. Expatriates are given more facilities (compared to others). So, they can take the advantage and invest in Bangladesh,” she added.
Bangladeshi journalists working in New York mainly participated in the conference.
Hasina places six proposals before world to fight Covid
Terming Covid-19 a common enemy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed six proposals before the global leaders to fight the deadly virus with fresh, inclusive and effective ideas.
“Sadly though, this malaise (Covid-19) seems to be here for a while, and therefore, as we had in the past, must come forth with fresh, inclusive, and global ideas to fight this common enemy. Let me highlight a few specific issues in this regard,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while delivering her speech in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) debate at the UN Headquarters on Friday.
Address vaccine inequality
In her first proposal, Hasina said for a Covid-free world, “We must ensure universal and affordable access to vaccines for people across the world.”
In the last UNGA, Hasina said, she called for treating Covid-19 vaccines as a ‘global public good.’ This was echoed by many other leaders. “Yet these calls remain largely unheeded. Instead, we’ve seen growing ‘vaccines divides’ between the rich and the poor nations.”
According to the World Bank, she said, 84 percent of vaccine doses have so far gone to people in high and upper middle-income countries, while the low-income countries received less than 1 percent.
“This vaccine inequality must be urgently addressed. We cannot chart out a sustainable recovery and be safe by leaving millions behind,” she said.
She also said immediate transfer of vaccine technologies could be a means to ensure vaccine equity. Bangladesh is ready to produce vaccines in mass scale if technical know-how is shared with us and patent waiver is granted.
Covid’s disproportionate impacts
In the second proposal, she said the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the climate vulnerable countries. “Unless there are immediate measures, the devastating impacts of climate change will be irreversible. No country, rich or poor, is immune to the destructive effects. We, therefore, call upon the rich and industrialised countries to cut emissions, compensate for the loss and damage, and ensure adequate financing and technology transfer for adaptation and resilience building.”
She said as the Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Vulnerable Twenty Group of Ministers of Finance, Bangladesh has launched the “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan – Decade 2030” outlining a transformative agenda from climate vulnerability to climate prosperity.
She said the upcoming COP-26 Summit in Glasgow provides a good opportunity to rally support for such new and inclusive ideas. “Let us not miss out on this opportunity.”
Read: PM joins opening session of 76th UNGA general debate