Clicky
National, Back Page

My village-My town

Rural people get urban facilities


Published : 10 Jan 2020 09:04 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 05:21 AM

As a result of a number of initiatives undertaken in line with the electoral pledges by the ruling Awami League (AL) government, rural people are now enjoying urban facilities across the country. Bangladesh Awami League, with the slogan ‘My village-My town’ in its electoral manifesto, had promised that it would turn the country’s villages into towns through availing of the urban amenities if it win the 30 December general election in 2018.

In order to free the country from hunger and poverty and bring smile on the faces of distressed people, the government has undertaken programmes aimed at turning the country’s 85 thousands villages into towns. The educated young generations of rural areas tend to move to cities. But this will not happen when the villages will be turned into towns with facilities similar to the cities.

Talking to reporters Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam said in order to implement the electoral promises they are working hard for one decade. “People living in villages are being facilitated with civic amenities. It will take some time. But as the government is willing to transform villages into cities through digital centres, it will happen in the long run,” he said, adding they are working to provide all facilities of cities to the rural people.

“The vision of our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is to transform villages into cities, which means taking all facilities of cities to the doorstep of rural population. Keeping that in mind, digital centres are working to transform villages into towns,” he said. As part of turning the villages into towns, ninety-four percent people have already been brought under electricity coverage across the country while about 97 percent people have been brought under advanced sanitation system in last ten years during 2009-2019.

Besides, congenial educational atmosphere for children and fresh drinking water are also being ensured in the villages while infrastructures are being built for sports and recreation. The government is also working to connect all the villages to the district and upazila towns with concrete roads.

Apart from these, the government has taken massive plan to build mills and factories at district and upazila levels to create job opportunities while internet converge and information technology facilities will be reached all over the country immediately. With the slogan in the electoral pledges ‘Somridhir Agrojatray Bangladesh” (Bangladesh in pursuit of prosperity)’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government assumed the office on January 7 after landslide victory in the 11th parliamentary elections on December 30 in 2018.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has earned massive success in agriculture sector as the present government has taken various initiatives for the development of agriculture in the country. Besides achieving self-sufficiency in food, the production of vegetables has also increased by a record quantity in Bangladesh.

Practicing of modern farming techniques and post-harvest management for maximising the immense potentiality of agricultural products and vegetables, have also put the country’s agriculture sector forward in the last one decade. Farmers have now become conscious as they are also being educated on using modern techniques and post-harvest management so that they could be benefited more.

On the other hand, ‘My home, My farm’, one of the ten priority initiatives of the government, designed to bringing country’s poverty rate to zero, has also got momentum aimed at attaining SDGs by 2030. Experts suggested that the government should take multidimensional projects for ensuring smooth electricity and water supply, sanitation, quality education, health services and other civic facilities in the rural Bangladesh as like as in the city and town areas to turn villages into towns.

Besides, the government has taken initiative to make easy the communication of districts surrounding capital Dhaka through development of road communication network. According to the planning ministry, all upazilas and unions of connecting roads, downstream areas connecting submersible roads, borders connecting roads and a number of highways are being constructed and repaired.

As part of government’s plan to modernise villages with urban amenities, this project has been taken. The project will be implemented by June in 2024. According to authorities concerned, when the project will be implemented a strengthened rural road network will be made. And these roads will facilitate the marketing of agriculture and non-agriculture product throughout the country.

“The farmers and non-agriculture producers will be able to market their goods through wide and smooth roads safely,” an official of planning ministry said. According to the Planning Commission officials, the Local Government Division will implement the widening and strengthening of upazila and union roads project across the country.

The government is constructing rural road infrastructures to facilitate expansion of growing rural economy and growth, creating improved and strong rural road network to give modern civic facilities to the rural community and subsequently create employments.=