Reiterating her government's firm stance against corruption, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government would continue its fight against graft to keep up the country's development spree and uphold its achievements.

“Though it's not possible for any country to root out a hundred percent corruption, it is a responsibility of our government to check corruption so that it cannot impede the country's progress and ruin our all success,” she said.

Hasina was exchanging views with senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office on the first working day of her office at the PMO after her re-election as the PM for the fourth time.

“Our war to stamp out terrorism, graft and narcotics will continue,” she added.

The PM said once the incidents of tender hijacking took place frequently in the country. “But we've been able to free the country from this curse … the success came for the use of technology and it's a good result of Digital Bangladesh.”

Calling upon the public servants to give more labour for the country's development, the PM said, “All will have to work hard and this labour will be an achievement of the people who are our near and dear ones.

“We want to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous nation … we have already got the recognition of the developing country and this achievement will have to be retained.” 

Extending thanks to the government officials for their cooperation, Hasina said whenever her government came to power, it received sincere cooperation from the public servants.

“We were able to complete all the development work fast due to cooperation of all government officials and thus the country advanced rapidly.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pays respect to martyred members of the armed forces, who laid down their lives for the independence of the country, at Shikha Anirban in Dhaka Cantonment yesterday on the occasion of the assumption of her office as the Prime Minister for the fourth time. Behind her, from left, Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed, Chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed, Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Air Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat and Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Md Mahfuzur Rahman also pay their respect. Photo: PID

Stressing the need for making the country self-reliant in all fields, the PM said Bangladesh would have to move keeping pace with the world.

“We shouldn't be dependent on others … We'll have to stand on our own feet.”

Hasina urged all to stay alert so that the anti-liberation forces never come to power. “We want that whoever comes to power, they will believe in the spirit and thought of independence, and the country will move ahead through it.

“From that time, I made a vow that no one can undermine us. We earned our independence through the Liberation War and we will move forward with our heads held high.”  

Hasina said, “Even Pakistanis were surprised to see our stunning development and they want their country to be developed like Bangladesh. Can anything make you happier than such reports?”

The PM said those who grabbed power illegally after 1975 did not think of serving the people. “But as a political party, the Awami League thinks of how much work we could do for the people and whatever we did for them was because of that thinking.”

Hasina directed the government officials to complete the ongoing development projects fast and said that she would start visiting the ministries soon like her previous tenure to infuse further dynamism into their work.

The PM also reiterated her determination to make Bangladesh a middle income country by 2021 and a developed and prosperous one by 2041.

She asked the officials to take massive preparations to celebrate the “Mujib Barsho” in 2020-2021 in a befitting manner and conduct campaign massively in this regard.

PM's Advisers HT Imam, Moshiur Rahman, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and Principal Coordinator on the SDG Affairs at the PMO Abul Kalam Azad also spoke at the function moderated by PM's Principal Secretary Nojibur Rahman. 

Earlier, the advisers and officials of different wings of the PMO, including PM's principal secretary, military secretary, PMO secretary, press secretary, director general of SSF and other directors general, greeted the PM by presenting her with bouquets separately.