Inclusive Development and Disadvantaged Communities

 

Bangladesh has also strengthened its position in space. The launch of Bangabandhu Satellite-1 has added a new dimension to our science and technology. The inauguration of Metrorail and Padma Bridge are both development milestones. Awami under the leadership of the Prime Minister has played a major role in the overall development of various sectors such as successfully dealing with the Covid pandemic, education, communication infrastructure, gas, electricity, women's education, 100% increase in salary of employees, health care, achieving self-sufficiency in food production, under social programs, disadvantaged communities, helpless, elderly, widows, persons with disabilities, persecuted women by husband or family member, autism, providing support to poor freedom fighters, shelter projects, one house one farm project, women empowerment. The role of electricity in the development of a country is undeniable. Increasing power generation to 25,000 megawatts and almost 100 percent electrification, bringing record amount of remittances to the country, increasing foreign exchange reserves to a record amount, reducing the poverty rate, raising the average life expectancy to about 73 years, formulating a national education policy, raising the literacy rate to 75.6 percent, delivering free new books to students on the first day of the year, mainstreaming and recognizing Madrasa education, establishing medical universities and medical facilities. The Awami League government under the leadership of the successful statesman Sheikh Hasina has contributed to numerous achievements in Bangladesh, including modernization, the establishment of universities in every district, women's policy formulation and women's empowerment, digital Bangladesh construction and revolution in the ICT sector, placing Bangladesh at the top of South Asia and fifth in the world due to outstanding success in fighting the corona epidemic, including the country in the ranks of the developing world.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned, 'We have attained victory in the great liberation war. We are a winning nation. As a victorious nation, we can stand tall in the court of the world. We will not bow down to anyone; we will not walk by bowing down to anyone. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu repeatedly said that by using that wealth, we will be proud of our own glory in the World Assembly, we will build ourselves and we will walk with our heads high to the whole world. This will be the most important step for the people of this country.

Success has also been seen in the production of food grains in Bangladesh. The country is able to produce almost four times more food grains than at the time of independence. Not only that, the foreign exchange reserves have also increased a lot. This is the proof-Bangladesh was never a begging bag. The biggest achievement of Bangladesh in the last 52 years, which was called the alms jar, is the transition from a less developed country to a developing country. This is how our beloved motherland Bangladesh built by Bangabandhu will move forward.

Inclusive development is an equitable development approach built on the understanding that every individual and community, of all diverse identities and experiences, is instrumental in the transformation of their own societies. Development processes that are inclusive yield better outcomes for the communities.

inclusive development focuses on the distribution of social and material benefits across social groups and categories but also the structural factors that cause and sustain the exclusion and marginalization of vulnerable groups in society.

The Prime Minister started the 'Shelter Project' under the supervision of his office to rehabilitate the homeless and landless people across the country. In Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's unique humanitarian example shelter project, floating landless families are getting beautiful houses with space. Most of these families were 'below the extreme poverty line'. They did not have the basic right to housing. Now they are owning the place, owning the house. Women are also getting this ownership. A total of 5 lakh 55 thousand 617 families have been given addresses through the shelter project. As of August where 27 lakh 78 thousand 85 people have been sheltered and resettled families have been brought under VGF program for three months. We are a winning nation. As a victorious nation, we can stand tall in the court of the world. We will not bow down to anyone, we will not walk by bowing down to anyone. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu repeatedly said that by using that wealth, we will be proud of our own glory in the World Assembly, we will build ourselves and we will walk with our heads high to the whole world. This will be the most important step for the people of this country. This is how our beloved motherland Bangladesh built by Bangabandhu will move forward.

At the same time they are being given alternative employment in coordinated initiatives. Such as provision of VGF facilities, provision of technical training, formation of cooperative societies and disbursement of loans, construction of community centers, digging of ponds and fish farming, construction of internal roads, provision of free electricity and water connection, plantation of trees, installation of deep and shallow tube wells, health and family planning and Various other schemes including free education programs have been adopted.

The Bangladesh Awami League government has been consistently providing various types of allowances including old age and widow allowances under the social protection program aimed at the development of the poor and helpless people. Every year the government has been allocating a large part of the budget to this social security program, now 2 crore people are directly and indirectly covered under this social security. As before, the Awami League government has maintained the continuity of increasing the allocation to the social security sector in the current budget as well.

The 10 special initiatives taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to continue the unprecedented progress in the country in the socio-economic sector are - Amar Bari Amar Khamar, Asyram, Digital Bangladesh, Education Assistance Programme, Women Empowerment, Door to Door Electricity, Community Clinic, Social Activities to increase the quality of life and income of rural communities through the implementation of safety programs, investment development and environmental protection. The government is implementing Vision 2021 and Vision 2041 under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister. Through this, Bangladesh is making unstoppable progress with the goal of making Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2026 and a knowledge-based society and a developed country by 2041. After the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the country is moving towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. After the formation of the government in 2009, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina gave priority to housing, education, medical and social security to ensure the basic rights of all the people of the country. At the same time, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took 10 special initiatives to reach people's doorsteps with digital services, empowering women, bringing electricity to homes, protecting the environment and increasing investment. Bangladesh today is a model of the world in development progress.


Hiren Pandit is a columnist
and a researcher.