HPM Sheikh Hasina for maintaining communal harmony to expedite development

"You have to remain careful so that no such incident, which are taking place sporadically in different parts of the country, take place anywhere in the country," she told a video conference with peoples representatives, professional leaders and officials of Rajshahi division from her Gonobhaban official residence.

The premier urged all to put in their best efforts to maintain communal harmony and ensure safety and security of the people of minority communities.

"As a Muslim majority country it is the responsibility of all of us to take care of the minorities," she told the conference which focused on nationwide development activities and anti-terror campaigns.

Sheikh Hasina cautioned everyone against a possible fresh spate of violence in the country as "BNP leaders have already given the hints and threatened to go for tough movement from November".

"So the countrymen have to remain careful about their conspiracy . . . everybody has to join hands against their anarchy, arson attacks and vandalism," she said.

The Prime Minister accused BNP-Jamaat clique of driving the country to the "path of destruction" and said "they are also responsible for destroying the morality of the youths".

"They (BNP-Jamaat) will not change their nature," she said.

The Prime Minister exchanged views with deputy commissioners, other senior officials and local representatives in five district of the division while the conference was projected at 2981 villages, upazilas of eight districts of the division.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, PM's advisor HT Imam were present, among others, at the Gonobhaban.

Ministers, parliament members, political and religious leaders, school teachers, farmers, beneficiaries of various benevolent programmes of the government and various cross section of people took part in the interaction with the premier from different venues in Rajshahi which virtually turned into public meetings.

Pointing out the prevailing peaceful law and order in the country Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said everybody has to work together to maintain communal harmony in Rajshahi. "Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony which should be maintained at any cost for development and brighten the country's image," she said.

A quarter, she said, is always out to frustrate the communal harmony but the nation has to remain careful in this regard.

In this context she requested the imams of mosques to give khutba against militancy and terrorism to create mass awareness.

At the same time she urged all including teachers, guardians, service holders to keep a strict watch on their children so that they could not be involved in drug addiction, militancy and terrorism.

The Prime Minister said her government is making stride to ensure basic rights of the people and with supports of all the government achieved tremendous success to this end.

Replying to a question the Prime Minister said the government is also mulling online admission in public universities.

Terming Bangladesh as the role model of development across the globe Sheikh Hasina said it's the main aim of her life to improve the ordinary people’s life and her government is working round the clock to this end.

The Prime Minister said due to relentless efforts of the present government Bangladesh is marching ahead as she sought cooperation of all to maintain the continuity of the current pace of development.

Sheikh Hasina said she would hold identical video conferences with other divisions in addition to public meetings to sensitize people against al conspiracy and government's success for socioeconomic progress.