Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday reiterated her firm optimism that the country will advance again and the people will get rid of the ongoing crisis by combating the coronavirus, reports BSS.
“Though the coronavirus has temporarily halted the country’s advancement, we hope the people will be free from it and we’ll move forward again,” she said while inaugurating the distribution and plantation of one crore saplings across the country marking the “Mujib Borsho” (Mujib Year).
Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated the National Tree Plantation Campaign 2020 through the same event held on her official Ganabhaban residence premises this morning.
The prime minister said coronavirus is not a problem for Bangladesh alone, it is a worldwide problem. “We pray for all on the globe so that they get rid of the pandemic,” she said.
Talking about her imprisonment day today, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said today (Thursday) is a special day as the then caretaker government arrested her on this day in 2007 by filing false cases.
“I express my gratitude to the people of Bangladesh, expatriate Bangladeshis and the world leaders as well as thank millions of leaders and workers of Awami League and its associate bodies for their protest against my imprisonment,” she said.
She mentioned that Dhaka city Awami League collected 25 lakh signatures of the people demanding her release and submitted those to the caretaker government.
The premier said the caretaker government was forced to release her due to the protests of the people and pressure from the national and international levels.
Sheikh Hasina said 12 false cases were lodged against her by the BNP-Jamaat government, while the caretaker government filed five more false cases.
“I, that time, said every case will have to be investigated and that was done, and by the grace of Allah I was acquitted from all the cases following their probe,” she said.
Expressing her heartfelt gratitude to the people, the premier said she got released on June 11 in 2008 due to their overwhelming support.
Pointing out that working for the country and the nation is her responsibility, Sheikh Hasina said she learnt it from Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“I learnt from Bangabandhu to face any situation and overcome adversities remaining in the honest way,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also elder daughter of Bangabandhu, renewed her vow to build a hunger-and-poverty-free Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation.
“Bangabandhu brought independence of the country and we want to build a hunger-and-poverty-free country following his ideology … we believe that we could do it Insha Allah,” she said.
Earlier, the prime minister launched the distribution and plantation of one crore saplings across the country by planting three trees – ‘chalta’, ‘tentul’ and ‘chhatiyan’ – on the Ganabhaban premises.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also reiterated her government’s goal of increasing the country’s forest coverage to 25 percent.
“When we formed government in 1996, the country’s forest coverage was only 7 percent and then we raised it to 17 percent. Now, our target is to enhance the (forest) coverage to 25 percent and we’re working relentlessly to achieve the goal,” she said.
The premier reaffirmed her call to the people to plant more trees to protect environment, saying that saving natural environment is a must.
“I would like to urge all to plant trees at places whatever you have and whatever you can. Those, who live in towns, can plant trees on rooftops or tubs of the balcony of their house,” she said.
She continued: “If you plant trees, you feel good and your mind will remain always fresh. Besides it will bring your solvency … you feel well if you eat a green chilli of the tree planted by yourself. So, let’s come to plant trees together.”
“Bangladesh is a deltaic country and let’s come to protect and develop it by planting trees in a massive way,” she added.
The prime minister also said that the plantation of trees is very much essential for ensuring food and nutrition of the people alongside their economic prosperity.
“Keeping this in mind, our party Bangladesh Awami League has been planting trees since 1984 and we start the tree plantation campaign every year on the first day of Bengali month of Ashar,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh Krishak League first took this initiative and now all associate bodies of Awami League are planting trees together.
The prime minister recalled that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first initiated the tree plantation campaign after independence.
“Today, we take the programme in his memory,” she said, adding this programme has been taken to create forestation and green belt across the country.
Sheikh Hasina said from the beginning she is urging the people to plant at least three trees – one fruit, one wood and one medicinal.
“Today, I launched the distribution and plantation of one crore saplings by planting three trees — ‘chalta’, ‘tetul’ and ‘chhatiyan’ – on the Ganabhaban premises,” she said.
Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Md Shahab Uddin, Prime Minister’s Office Secretray Md Tofazzel Hossain Mian, Environment Secretary Ziaul Hasan and PM’s Press Secretray Ihsanul Karim were present on the occasion, among others.
