None gagged from speaking on TV: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said everyone can talk now, and can participate in the talk show on television.

"But I know after talking a lot, you will say that we are not allowed to talk. But when you talk on a talk show, no one has either gagged your voice or shut your voice," she told the opening session of the 2nd National Conference on SDGs Implementation Reviews (SIR) at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

Joining the function virtually from her official residence Gono Bhaban, the prime minister said, anyone can say whatever they want.

"So I will tell everyone: first visit Bangladesh a little bit, go to the village level, see what the condition of the people there and then you will probably know if you want to talk," Hasina said.

Sheikh Hasina said, there are many people who criticise while remaining in Dhaka.

She requested the critics to travel across the country to see the development of the people in lieu of sitting in Dhaka city only.

"If you communicate with the rural areas you will know everything," she said pointing to the naysayers.

Praising the private sector for playing their vital role in keeping the wheel of Bangladesh's economy in motion the premier said that the investment climate has already been made more conducive to them.

"Once the mega projects for infrastructure development are fully implemented, the private sector will get more dynamism," she said.

Replying to the critics of various mega projects, she said that these people only see the expenditure without considering the profits of the people from this spending and its contribution to the economy.

"The development of the country will get momentum, the lives of the people will be upgraded, probably they do not consider those, this is very much regretful," she added.

In her address, the premier called for taking effective initiatives to ensure that international commitments are appropriately met for the implementation of the UN-adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"…effective initiatives need to be taken to ensure that international commitments are appropriately met and implemented," she said.

She also put emphasis on ensuring the best use of funds and preventing its wastage as well as continuation of providing the policy support and funding for the implementation of the SDGs.

"We will continue to provide policy support and funding for the implementation of the SDGs, but we must ensure the best use of funds, and wastage must be prevented," she said.

She also said her government will be able to achieve the set goals before 2030 provided all work together.

"We have achieved the status of a developing nation and we will be able to attain the status of a developed country by 2041," Hasina observed.

The premier mentioned that Bangladesh's success in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) brightened its image in the international arena.

"Our government is committed to implementing the 'Agenda 2030' or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to continue this pace of development," she said.

She said that although SDGs is a global development concept, it is also very relevant in the development discourse of Bangladesh.