DHAKA, April 13, 2022 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation this evening on the eve of Bangla New Year 1429.
 
Her speech was aired by Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar as well as private TV channels and radio stations.
 
The full text of the Prime Minister’s speech is as follows.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Dear Countrymen,
Assalamu Alaikum 

At the end of the year, following the path of mundane  rules, the New Year has come amid us again - 1429 Bangla Year. Happy New Year to you  all. Shubho Nabobarsho.

The Muslim’s holy month of Ramadan is now going on. I greet all devout Muslims on the occasion of Ramadan.

On this auspicious occasion of 1429 Bangla Year, I show my deepest homage to the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I recall four national leaders, 30 lakh martyrs of the Liberation War and two lakh mothers and sisters who faced torture. I pay my respect to all the heroic freedom fighters.

I recall with deep sorrow my mother Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib who was killed by assassins on August 15, 1975, three brothers - freedom fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal, freedom fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russell - Kamal and Jamal's newly married wives - Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal -, my uncle freedom fighter Sheikh Abu Nasser and all the martyrs of that night.

We have passed over two years amid the coronavirus pandemic. Infected  with this deadly virus, we have lost many of our loved ones. I wish forgiveness of all the souls and seek eternal peace of their departed souls. I extend my deepest sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Dear Countrymen,
The Bangalee people of this land are the bearers of the tradition and culture of hundreds of years. Despite being divided into different religions and castes, all the Banglees are one and unique on the issue of tradition and culture. Although many traditions have been lost due to various ups and downs, the celebration of Bangla New Year on Pahela Baishakh is still sustained with its glory. Forgetting the gloom, despair and frustration of the whole year, all the Bangalees get filled with new joy and excitement on this day.

“Eso he boishakh eso eso/ Muchhe jak glani, ghuche jak jora/ Ogni snane suchi hok dhora” - We call the New Year by singing the timeless song of kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore.

 

Welcoming the New Year on Pahela Baishakh is a universal festival of the Bangalees. This festival has been celebrated in the villages, towns and every corner of Bengal for the time immemorial. Village fair, halkhata and various sports were the main events of the New Year.

Traders used to organise Halkhata festivals to collect the debts of the previous year. Rural families used to buy necessary utensils from the fair for the whole year. The best possible quality food items were cooked at homes.

There was the tradition of celebration of Pahela Baishakh in different parts of Dhaka city. Halkhata festivals were held at different places, including Azimpur, Wari, Waizghat, Moulvibazar, and fairs were held, products were sold at these fairs and there were arrangements for music functions and Jatra-Circus. In the sixties, the cultural organisation Chayanat started performing the New Year's music at the Ramna Batamul.

Pahela Baishakh inspires us to make a liberal way of life by avoiding all narrowness and prejudices. Removing all the decay and decrepitude remained inside our minds; it gives us the strength to live with new hope.

We are the Banglalees, a proud nation in the world; this sense of nationalism and Bangalee culture are revived and we get inspired through Pahela Baishakh of the New Year.

Today, not only in the country, but also in every part of the world where the Bangalees have made their homes, they have carried and are carrying the Bangalee folk culture for hundreds of years. Through various programmes, including New Year, they let the people know that they are Bangalees. And through this, a bridge between Bangalee culture and other cultures is being built all over the world.

Dear Countrymen,
Due to coronavirus pandemic, programmes of Pahela Baishakh could not be held in open spaces in the last two years. At present, the coronavirus infections have decreased significantly. So, this time, the events will be organised in the outdoor on limited scale. However, the coronavirus has not been eliminated completely. New variants of coronavirus can spread in any country any time. I urge everyone to follow the health safety guidelines and participate in these events.

We are of course ready to deal with any situation. Meanwhile, about 90 percent of eligible people have been inoculated. Vaccination continues. The booster doses are now being given after the second doses.

 

This pandemic not only affected Bangladesh but also caused harm to the economy of the whole world. It has a negative impact on people's lives and livelihoods.

My government is doing its best to recover from the loss of the pandemic. So far, incentive of Taka 1,87,679 crore have been announced through 28 packages, benefiting about 6.74 crore people and 1,18,000 organisations.

Dear Countrymen,
Due to coronavirus situation, the prices of commodities become volatile in world markets. The price of fuel soars up at abnormal rate.
 
Fares in transpiration of goods have also risen sharply internationally. As a result, the prices of commodities have increased in our country too in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the situation created due to the war. But we are not sitting idle. We are trying our best to bring relief in the life of the commoners.

During the holy month of Ramadan, we have taken steps to reach some essential commodities to about 10 million families at affordable prices with subsidy through the TCB. An initiative has been taken to sell meat, egg and milk at fair prices through freezer vans of the Livestock Department. 

As a result, the prices of many essentials have already come down to normal level. Besides, the government has allocated over 1,00,330 metric tonnes of rice against 1,00,33,054 VGF cards on the occasion of upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

Some media outlets are campaigning in such way that there is a famine in the country. I strongly want to inform you that there is no shortage of rice and other commodities in the country. It is normal that people will flock to the TCB's stores to buy products at affordable prices. What could be the reason for highlighting it negatively?

Even, during the coronavirus pandemic, in fiscal 2020-21, our GDP growth was 6.94 percent. In the last fiscal, a record of US$ 24.77 billion remittance came in the country. Expected remittances are coming this year too. Last year, the export earning was US$ 44.22 billion. In the first nine months of this year, export earnings increased by about 33 percent, reaching US$ 38.61 billion compared to the same period last year. If this trend continues, Bangladesh will set a new record of export earnings this year, Insha Allah.
 

Agriculture is the key force of our economy. We are now completely self- reliant in the production of rice, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs and milk due to the agri-friendly policy of our government. It is expected to get bumper yield of boro paddy in the current season if there will be no natural calamities.
 
Many are spreading confusion over our different mega projects. The Padma Bridge is being constructed with government's own funds - no loans have been taken. We have adopted other mega projects consulting with local and foreign economic experts. And not just loans, many projects are being implemented based on the foreign partnerships. If these projects are implemented, the country's economy will be changed. We are taking domestic and foreign loans. 

However, we have kept strict vigilance so that the debt will not become any burden for the country. Our prime aim is to accelerate economic activities, create employment opportunities, increase wealth and make people's lives easier with infrastructural development.
 
The 2022-2023 fiscal will be a milestone year for Bangladesh in terms of infrastructural development. And the much awaited Padma Bridge is going to be opened after a few months. The bridge is expected to contribute to 1.2 percent to the country's GDP.
 
The metro rail stretching 14 kilometers area from Uttara to Agargaon will be launched by the end of this year. It is expected that Metrorail will bring a revolutionary change to the transport system in capital city Dhaka. The country's first tunnel through the Karnafuli River in Chittagong will be opened October next. The first unit of the 1,200-megawatt Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the largest development project in the country's history involving Taka one lakh and 13 thousand crore is expected to go on operation by the end of the next year. Besides, with 1,320-megawatt capacity a power plant at Payra was inaugurated last month ahead of the schedule. The implementation of other mega projects is progressing fast.
 
Considering the overall indicators of the economy, it is clear that Bangladesh's economy has stood on the solid foundation over the last 13 
years. The GDP in 2009 was only $102 billion. In 2021, it has increased to $ 416 billion. Per capita income rose to $ 2591 from $702.
 

These achievements have been made possible due to the far-reaching political thinking and the adoption as well as implementation of the far-sighted economic programmes. Today, Bangladesh has emerged as a 'role model' of development as the country is being run with people's participation upholding the democratic trend. 

But I think it is the responsibility of the government to work for the development of the country. We are proud as we have been able to contribute to materialize Father of the Nation’s dream of building a happy and prosperous Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal).

As long as I am alive and the Almighty Allah blesses me, I will continue to work for the people and serve the countrymen.

I want to say in the words of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore:

Jiboner Ei Pothe, Ke Balite Pare
Baki Ache Koto?
Maje Koto Bighnashock, koto Khurdhare 
Hridoyer Khoto
Punorbar kali Hote     Chalibo Se Tapta Pothe
Khama Koro Ajikar Moto 
Puratan Barosher Sathe
Puratan Aporadh Joto.

Dear countrymen, 
One day, under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, non-communal Bengali nationalism had flourished in this country based on the language, culture, rituals and the heritages of the Bengalis. On the basis of which independent-sovereign Bangladesh has been achieved through 23-year-long political struggles and nine month-long liberation war under the leadership of Bangabandhu. So, denying our language, culture, rituals and heritages is tantamount to denying our independence.

Today, at the auspicious moment of 1429 BS, let us be immersed in the non-communal spirit of Bengali nationalism and build Bangladesh as a happy and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangladesh’ - where there will be no discrimination, no difference among the people and no duel among the religions. Being imbued with the mutual friendship and brotherhood, let’s establish Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla (golden Bengal)’ in the world.

All of you stay well, stay healthy. Enjoy the happiness of Bengali New Year by following the health guidelines. Greetings of the New Year to all again. Happy New Year. May the Almighty Allah bless all of us.
 
Khuda Hafez
Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu
Bangladesh Chirojibi Houk (Long live Bangladesh forever).