PM inaugurates operational activities of Paira Bandar

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today expressed her government's firm resolve to make Bangladesh a poverty and hunger free nation by 2021 and materialize the dream Bangabandhu, reports the BSS.

 

"In his whole life Bangabandhu had struggled for bringing smile on the faces of his people. Now this responsibility has been bestowed upon us and we're making our relentless efforts to accomplish the task," she said.

 

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating a number of development projects including operational activities of the Paira Bandar in Patuakhali through video conference from her Gonobhaban residence here today.

 

The Prime Minister inaugurated country's first eight-lane Jatrabari-Kanchpur National Highway and country's first four-lane national expressway from Jatrabari to Mawa and Pachhar to Bhanga, connecting Padma Bridge.

 

Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated 100 percent electricity coverage in six upazilas under Rural Electrification Board (REB) and Sheikh Russell Digital Lab (Computer and Language Training Lab) at educational institutions across the country.

 

Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Division Obaidul Quader, Army Chief General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, PM's Advisor Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid Bipu, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ICT Ministry Imran Ahmed also spoke on the occasion from Gonobhaban side.

 

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad moderated the programme attended by secretaries and senior officials of the concerned ministries and divisions.

 

Inaugurating the 100 percent electricity coverage in six upazilas, the Prime Minister highlighted the steps taken by her government to make the country self-reliant in power production.

 

She said people have already started getting benefit of those short, medium and long term projects. The whole country would come under 100 percent electricity coverage by 2021, she said.

 

The upazilas brought under 100 percent electricity coverage are- Tungipara of Gopalganj district, Bandar of Narayanganj district, Palash of Narsingdi district, Boalkhali of Chittagong district, Adarsha Sadar of Comilla district and Bholahat of Chapainawabganj district.

 

Under the project for setting up of Sheikh Russell Digital Lab (Computer and Language Training Lab) at educational institutions across the country, the ICT ministry has already set up 2001 computer labs and 65 language labs in different educational institution in the first phase.

 

The Prime Minister distributed laptops and books among the successful students in essay writing and cultural competitions.

 

Minister for Shipping Shajahan Khan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nizam Uddin Ahmed, secretary of the shipping ministry Ashoke Madhab Roy, local union parishad chairman Humayun Mia and Chinese stone exporter Falix spoke on the occasion of inauguration of operational activities of Paira Bandar from Kalapara, Paira.

 

Operational activities of the new port began with anchorage of MV Fortune Bird, a stone carrying ship from China for Padma Bridge.