Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the youths to engage in producing and processing food to tackle impending global famine and food crisis forecast by international organisations due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.

"I call upon the youth folk to concentrate on producing more food by cultivating every inch of our land and processing those so that we can save Bangladesh from the looming global famine and food crisis," she said.

She said this while distributing the National Youth Award among 21 winners in various categories for their outstanding contribution to youth development and inaugurating the National Youth Day-2022 being observed across the country in a befitting manner.

The prime minister joined virtually the programme organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium here, from her official residence Ganabhaban in the city.

She said they have to ensure maximum use of the fertile land and manpower they have to ward off the global crisis.

"The entire world has been suffering from economic meltdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The situation is worsening further due to the Russia-Ukraine war for which many developed countries are facing economic crisis," she said.

The youths can work in their own localities in growing more food and processing those to effectively fight the situation, she added.

"We can meet our growing local demand alongside helping other countries affected by possible famine through growing more food and ensuring their processing," she said.

Describing the youths as the main driving force for Bangladesh's development, she said, "You (youths) have to make your country a developed and prosperous one by 2041 utilising your own strength and merit."

The prime minister said her government is working tirelessly to build the youths with the up-to-date knowledge of science and technology to make them worthy to compete with the ever-changing world and capable for the fourth industrial revolution.

She praised the initiative of the Youth and Sports Ministry to give firm based training to 64,000 youths both male and female in 64 districts and provide them with loans to set up biogas plants.

"I consider the initiative is timely one and very important considering the present global state while the energy price is increasing globally due to the war. We can save our country, if we can establish biogas plants and solar energy," she added. 

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel, its Secretary Mesbah Uddin and Director General of the Department of Youth Development Md Azharul Islam Khan, spoke at the function.

On behalf of the prime minister, the state minister distributed the awards among the winners of the National Youth Award.

A video documentary on the National Day and its theme song was also played at the function.

The National Youth Day is observed every year on 1 November. This year's theme of the day is "Proshikhito Jubok Unnat Desh: Bangabandhur Bangladesh (Trained youths developed country, Bangabandhu's Bangladesh)".