Prime Minister’s Information and Communication Technology Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy said that the country will continue to prosper as long as AL remains in power.
“Bangladesh has now been adorned with the status of a middle income country. Such attainment of the nation has been attributed to pro-liberation forces’ staying in the state power. The country will be progressing as long as Awami League will remain in power”, BSS quoted Joy as saying.
His remarks came while addressing the Joy Bangla Award giving ceremony at Sheikh Hasina National Youth Complex at Savar on Sunday.
None will be left backward in Bangladesh, Joy said, adding, “We will be providing assistances to the youths and common people”.
Young Bangla, the youth platform of non-profit organisation Centre for Research and Information (CRI), organized the event for the third time.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and CRI Trustee Nasrul Hamid addressed the function while Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar, grandson of Bangabandhu and CRI Trustee Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, State minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and State Minister for Information Tarana Halim were present in the function.
Joy said “When we conceived the dream of ‘Digital Bangladesh’, many used to ridicule the idea. Please, look back where we did we stand 10 years back. At that time the people of the country were engulfed by utter frustration and thought that nothing good would be yielded”, he said.
The people started regaining self-confidence when AL took the country back on the development track after assuming the power through general election in 2008, the PM’s ICT advisor said.
The government has deftly implemented the dream of ‘Digital Bangladesh’ utilizing its efficiency and farsightedness, he said, adding, “But we did not implement it by hiring consultants from abroad”.
Right at this moment, Joy said other countries of the globe are imparting technical support from Bangladesh for turning their respective nations digital. “We are now providing support to the Maldives, Bhutan, Peru and the Philippines. We are now on the verge of becoming IT expert”, he added.
The AL government set goals of transforming the country into a middle income country by 2021 and developed one by 2041 after assuming office in 2008, he said.
“But we achieved the status of middle income country before 2021. Now our target is to transform the country into developed one by 2041. And we will do it,” Joy added.
Speaking about Joy Bangla Youth Award, the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) Chairperson Joy said “Initially we took an initiative to bring the youths forefront in a small scale. We promised to psyche the youths to join the process of welfare for the country’s people. But I now feel proud of seeing huge number of youth participants in the function”.
He urged the youths to keep up their self-confidence.
Joy handed over the Joy Bangla Award to the 30 organisations selected from a short list of 50-nominated organisations under 10 categories, including skill development, universal education, job management for differently abled people, cultural revolution, innovation, sports and fitness, creating public awareness and reducing gender discrimination.
