Hasina calls for research to support development

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the researchers to carry out more work on all fronts to help Bangladesh develop further.

Her call came at an event organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Wednesday.

“Bangladesh is now a developing country and a self-sufficient economy. I think researchers should carry out more research to gain more,” she said while handing cheques for special researches among post-graduate students and researchers under Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship, and National Science and Technology Fellowship.

The prime minister asked the researchers to find out the potential sectors that require more investment for faster national development.

In the past, she said the importance of research had not been on anyone's mind.

The Awami League government created many opportunities for higher education and funded for research in various fields, she added.

"After coming to power for the first time, I noticed that no allocation was made for research in our country. There was no special assistance for the research or no importance was attached to research.”

"I first made a block allocation. Because when I formed government, there was economic crisis in Asia. Yet with our limited resources….our reserve was low, per capita income was low. Even then, I remembered, I allocated Tk 120 million for research. The following year, when we made budget, we allocated Tk 1 billion for research and IT industry.”

"Since then we have started research. That’s why Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in food. We have attached importance to the study. That’s why we have achieved excellence in many areas today. "

The prime minister also listed various initiatives taken by the government for research.