Staff Correspondent:
Dhaka, Sept-22,
Awami League General
Secretary Obaidul Quader today said the "SDG Progress Award"
conferred on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will remain as a milestone in the
history of Bangladesh.
He came up with the
remark while speaking at a press conference on temporary issues at his official
residence here.
Quader, also the road
transport and bridges minister, said the premier was conferred with the
prestigious award as Bangladesh has already achieved remarkable progress in
attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under her leadership.
On Monday, the
UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) conferred Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina with "SDG Progress Award" for Bangladesh's
steady course in responding to the universal call to action to end poverty, protect
the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all.
Quader said prominent
US economist and development strategist Professor Jeffrey D Sachs introduced
Sheikh Hasina as the "jewel in the crown of the day" at the full
assembly of the UN's ninth annual international conference on sustainable
development.
He said Sachs also
appreciated her leadership in spearheading the SDG campaign even during the
global COVID-19 pandemic.
On behalf of the Awami
League and general people, the AL general secretary greeted Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina for this achievement and wished her long life and sound health.
Responding to a
statement of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, he said the
country's people know better that the BNP men are not in good form now and that
is why they are raising imaginary allegations that the people's overall
condition is not good at present.
"In fact, the BNP
leaders are getting hurt as the country's people are in a good position now,
overcoming the COVID-19 impacts," he added.
Quader said it is very
normal that those, who continue making falsehood and poisonous statements for
assuming power, would not like the people's welfare. The life of people started
getting normal after coping with COVID-19 consequences, but the BNP leaders are
still staying inside their homes, which makes the whole nation frustrated, he
said.
The AL general
secretary said the country's people are bored hearing the repeated statements
of the BNP in the last 13 years that the government would be ousted through
movement.
Staying inside their
homes, the BNP leaders are shedding crocodile tears for farmers, workers and
journalists, he said.
Responding to another
allegation of the BNP leaders, Quader said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman carried out various programmes for developing agriculture
and farmers' welfare, and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government continued
this tread.
The
agriculture-friendly government has set a unique example through ensuring fair
prices of agricultural outputs, marketing of agricultural products and
providing loans and incentives for farmers, he said.
Recalling that many
farmers seeking fertilisers were killed during the BNP era, the road transport
minister said the country's farmers did not get the necessary support during
the BNP reign but the BNP leaders are now showing artificial sympathy to them.
End/Dct/Nai/Sma/
