Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that the country will never look back again and it will move forward to become a developed, prosperous, and smart Bangladesh.
"Insha Allah, this country will never look back again. Bangladesh is advancing and will advance more…it will be 'Smart Bangladesh'. We will have the 'Sonar Bangla'," she said.
The prime minister said this while addressing the 43rd National Assembly-2023 of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP as the chief guest at the Ansar and VDP Academy in Gazipur's Shafipur on Sunday (12 February).
She said that the country was liberated with the supreme sacrifice of blood during the War of Liberation.
"Today Bangladesh got the recognition of a developing country, and we want to advance further. We want to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country, alongside ensuring socioeconomic progress," she said.
People in the country will not beg to anyone, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said that the coronavirus pandemic created immense pressure on the economy at the international level, while the Russia-Ukraine War caused a global recession, not just in Bangladesh.
"I urge everyone to follow the footsteps of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman…do not keep a single inch of arable land unutilised," she said.
"For that Ansar and VDP can play a special role. They can help people in the villages and engage them in various cultivation activities to produce crops and preserve those. I hope that you will contribute," the prime minister added.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Public Security Division Senior Secretary Md Aminul Islam Khan, and Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Major General AKM Aminul Haque welcomed the prime minister when she arrived at the venue.
The premier handed over medals to 180 Ansar and VDP members for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
She also inspected the parade and witnessed a smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP. Later, she witnessed choreography and a cultural programme.
