Published : 11 Jun 2023, 04:24 PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stressed the importance of education in the drive towards a poverty-free Bangladesh.
“No nation can overcome poverty without education,” Hasina said at an event on Sunday to hand out prizes for the Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search Competition-2023 and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award -2022.
"Education is the backbone of a nation and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib had said that spending on education is nothing but an investment. We can’t build a Bangladesh free from poverty without educated people. Therefore, we are taking many initiatives in the education sector,” she said.
Hasina highlighted the need for skill development to keep pace with the rest of the world. "The world is changing and we have to keep up. It’s an era of science, technology and research.”
She mentioned different initiatives, including those on promoting science and technical education taken by her government to ensure the talent and creativity of students can flourish. "We believe that Bangladesh will move forward if we provide enough space for our students to nurture their talents.”
The prime minister called for added emphasis to be placed on research related to health, science and technology. “We have progressed a lot in terms of agricultural research, but not so much in the science sector,” she said.
She urged students to work hard and ensure the country keeps progressing. “Never forget the people of your country. We do everything for our people. You have to work for the people. Nothing is more important than working for the people,” she said.
“We must hold our heads high as we’re a nation who won the Liberation War. We must promise to live with dignity and self-respect,” she told the young students.
Highlighting Bangladesh as "a role model" for developing nations, Hasina hoped that the country's brightest minds will continue to take the nation forward.