Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday placed a proposal for holding a general discussion in Parliament on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Independence.

She placed the proposal under rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure where MPs from the treasury and opposition benches will take part in the discussion before passing the proposal on Thursday.

In her proposal, the Leader of the House said the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence is a glorious chapter in Bangalee’s national life as Bangladesh is marching forward at an irresistible speed. “Bangladesh is now a ‘development surprise’ in the world.”

She mentioned that Bangladesh’s independence came through the path of Language Movement from 1948 to 1952, 1966 Six Points movement, 1969 Mass Upsurge under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his historic speech of March 7, March 25 genocide, declaration of independence by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the early morning of March 26, the formation of the Mujibnagar government on April 17 and the sacrifice of 3 million great martyrs and 200,000 mothers and sisters.

The final victory came on December 16, 1971 with the surrender of the Pakistani army, the Leader of the House said.

During the adoption and implementation of various plans aimed at rebuilding the war-torn country, on August 15, 1975 era, a darkness descended on the national life, the Prime Minister told the House.

The President of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family were brutally murdered. Inside the prison, four national leaders were assassinated, power was seized illegally, and the constitution was shattered through military decrees while democracy and the rule of law were demolished.

After the formation of the government in 1996, Hasina said, the trial of Bangabandhu's assassination was held, while the trial of the war criminals completed.

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Through the implementation of the vision 2021, Bangladesh has gained recognition as a developing country coming out of the least developed country status.

The proposal stated that Digital Bangladesh is a reality today. There has been successes in every field of human resource development, including poverty reduction, attainment of food self-sufficiency, 100 percent electrification across the country, construction of houses for nine lakh homeless people, social security activities, women's education and empowerment, development in disaster management, student stipends, prevention of maternal and child mortality rates.

There has been marked progress in economic growth, remittances and reserves as Bangladesh today ranks 41st in the world economy, the Prime Minister said.

The Delta Plan 2100 has been formulated to deal with the adverse effects of climate change, she said.

In the proposal, the Prime Minister said the incentive package announced to overcome the Corona pandemic crisis has kept the economy afloat and mentioned about the metro rail, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Karnafuli Tunnel and self-financed construction of Padma Bridge which has proved the capability of Bangladesh in the world.

“The demarcation of maritime boundaries with India and Myanmar and the launch of Bangabandhu satellite in space have added a unique milestone to the triumph of Bangladesh's success,” she said.

The cornerstone of parliamentary democracy is the National Parliament. It is playing an effective role in implementing and fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of people by ensuring transparency and accountability of the government, Hasina said.

In celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence, everybody’s vow should be establishing Bangladesh as a dignified and poverty-free country in the world overcoming all the challenges as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said.

Placing the proposal while initiating the general discussion, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is moving forward now overcoming many obstacles. “We’ve to advance further.”

Recalling various steps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after the Independence, she said he had laid out the programme for the second revolution to make the country self-reliant.

“He decentralised power for removing the difference between the rich and the poor and strengthening the local government,” she said, adding, “Had he got five more years to implement those plans then Bangladesh would have stood on its own feet.”

She also said the dignified position that Bangladesh reached now could have been attained within 10 years of Independence had Bangabandhu been alive.

Hasina said the vested quarter which did not like to see Bangladesh in a dignified position could not tolerate Bangabandhu’s move. “As they failed to get attention from the mass people after repeated propaganda against him at that time, they killed him brutally on August 15.”

After his assassination, there were coups in the country for many times when general people and freedom fighters were killed and Constitution was torn many times, stalling the advancement of Bangladesh. “We had been made a nation of beggars after the killing of Bangabandhu.”

Briefly describing the massive development of the country in the last 12 years, the Leader of the House said Bangladesh got the recognition as a developing nation.

Talking about coronavirus vaccines, she said crores of people have been vaccinated, and there will be no shortage of vaccines. “We’ll put 80 percent people under the vaccination coverage.”

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Hasina said the present government assumed power to serve people. “We think this is a scope for us to change the fate of people.”

She said the government reduced Bangladesh’s poverty rate to 20 percent. “It could have been reduced to 17 percent if the Covid-19 pandemic had not hit the country. Our development wheel didn’t stop even though we’ve been hit by the pandemic. We’re the highest growth performer in the South Asia in this time of global recession.”

Mentioning that Bangladesh is now the 41st strongest economy in the world, she said, “We want to develop the country as a modern technology based one. This country will stand in the world arena as the Golden Bengal of the Father of the Nation,” she said.

The Prime Minister said the nation is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence at a time when Bangladesh has achieved the status of a developing country. “We’ve to go ahead, maintaining that status.”

The Leader of the House said the development plans of the government are mainly rural-centric ones as the fruits of the advancement could reach the grassroots while her government has been working to ensure civic amenities to rural people.

She said they have formulated a prospective plan (2021-2041) to make Bangladesh a developed nation adding that they have the Delta Plan-2100 and started its implementation to ensure a better and improved life to the generation after generation.

The Prime Minister said her target is to bring smiles to the faces of the countrymen as her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had dedicated her entire life for the betterment of the people.