A Correspondent:
Kishoreganj: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called upon the people to remain alert against misinformation and attempts to create confusion, stressing that Bangladesh must move forward with stability, economic self-reliance and people-centred development.
“There are many misinformation spreaders and rumour-mongers in the country. We have to remain alert about them. We have to see what they did in the past and, considering their past, keep them under close watch and monitor what they are doing for the future,” he said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing a function organized to distribute ‘Fami-ly Card’ and allowances among religious leaders and providing financial assistance to distressed and physically challenged people at the old Kishoreganj Stadium yesterday afternoon.
He also distributed Family Card among women, allowances among imams, muezzins, priests, monks and other religious personalities, and financial assistance cheques among distressed and physically challenged people.
The Prime Minister handed over a job appointment letter to a person with disabilities.
Regarding misinformation, the Prime Minister said, “We’ve to keep the country stable. We can-not allow ourselves to be misled by anyone spreading confusion. If misinformation spreaders try to mislead people, we have to give them an appropriate response as we did in the past.”
Referring to the roles of certain groups during different political crises, Tarique Rahman said their past activities should be taken into consideration while assessing their present activities.
He also reiterated the government’s commitment to modernizing agriculture and creating em-ployment opportunities for young people by establishing new mills, factories and industrial en-terprises.
“Unless we put people at the centre and properly prepare them, we cannot take the country for-ward. No matter how big our slogans are, if we cannot make people self-reliant and ensure eco-nomic self-reliance for every citizen, we will never be able to build the country,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said the government’s main goal is to build Bangladesh as a self-reliant and wel-fare-oriented state rather than merely following the model of another country.
Tarique Rahman said the government are providing social allowances to imams, muezzins, khat-ibs and religious leaders of other faiths to help them remain self-reliant as guides of society.
“Besides, state assistance continues for disadvantaged people, persons with disabilities and mer-itorious students,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the current BNP government had resolved the retirement benefit com-plications of 123,000 teachers who had been deprived of their dues during the previous regime and had completed the payment process.
He said BNP practiced politics aimed at changing the fortunes of the people. “BNP’s politics is about creating employment, supporting education, helping farmers increase their production and establishing mills and factories. This is BNP’s politics,” he said.
The Prime Minister said every pledge made before the election are being implemented gradually and the people are witnessing the development journey.
“Our goal is to work for the country and for the people and to change their fortunes. Only by changing the fortunes of the people can we change the fortunes of the country,” he said.
Chaired by Social Welfare Minister Professor AZM Zahid Hossain, it was also addressed by State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam, lawmakers Fazlur Rahman, Mazharul Islam and Jalal Uddin.
