Focus on planned development of villages: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday put emphasis on planned development of villages shifting the focus from upazila areas, keeping in mind the country’s high density of population.

"We’ll ensure the civic amenities in rural areas as our aim is to develop villages," she said.

The Prime Minister was speaking while witnessing a presentation on Land Acquisition and Biodiversity Preservation Plan in adjacent areas of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Complex at Tungipara in Gopalganj.

The presentation was held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. LGED Chief Engineer M Khalilur Rahman made the presentation.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has very little land with high population. "We’ve to ensure food security, medical facilities, education and jobs. We’ve strengthened our economy considering all these factors." 

She said the government will create all those facilities in rural areas as well so that people do not have to come to the capital just looking for jobs. "They’ll have their employment opportunity in their respective areas, too." 

The Prime Minister said the natural balance must be maintained while carrying out any sort of development works alongside protecting rivers, canals and wetlands, ensuring water drainage system and preserving waterways.

"We’ve to look after these matters while going for any development," she said.

The four-year-long Land Acquisition and Biodiversity Preservation Plan in adjacent areas of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Complex project will be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department LGED spending Tk 395 crore.

This project is being undertaken as part of the ongoing “Important Urban Infrastructure Development Project (2nd Phase)” involving Tk 3465 crore. This will be implemented in 281 municipalities across the country from January 2018 and December 2021.

Under the project, development of roads, construction of bridges, culverts and drains, acquisition of land and rehabilitation, preservation of biodiversity, digging canals, reconstruction of river banks, renovation of ponds/lakes/canals, beautification, tree plantation, and other infrastructure development as well as installation of streetlights will be done.

Prime Minister’s Adviser HT Imam, Mashrafee Bin Moretaza, MP, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary M Nojibur Rahman, Tungipara Upazila Chairman, Mayor of Tungipara Municipality and local leaders of Awami League were present.

Source: unb