Dhaka, May 31 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday ruled out the possibility of opening educational institutions right now saying that students are the future of the country and the government does not want to put them at risk.“May be we cannot open the educational institutions, because we want to advance step by step so that they (students) are not infected with coronavirus,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while publishing the results of SSC and equivalent examinations from her official residence Ganobhaban through videoconferencing with Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni who was present at her Ministry with chairmen of different education boards.
Dipu Moni, on behalf of the Prime Minister, received the results from the chairmen.
Sheikh Hasina said that students are the future of the country and the government does not want to put them in danger.
“That’s the reason why we won’t open any educational institution right now. If we can overcome this (coronavirus) situation, we’ll open the educational institutions gradually,” she said.
Terming the present situation as a crisis for the whole world, she asked all to have self-confidence. “Self-confidence is the biggest thing, whatever the situation comes we have to face that,” she said.
The prime minister said the country already faced a cyclone and high tide amid this coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ll face all crises, including cyclone, with confidence and we’ll work together as we’re doing right now,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said that the country will be able to overcome the coronavirus pandemic by working together. “That’s the goal and that’s the decision of the government,” she added.
Regarding the relaxing of the shutdown, the Prime Minister said that everything was closed for a long time. “Other countries are opening their wheels of economy in phases,” she pointed out.
In this connection, she briefly described various stimulus packages and food and monetary assistances of the government for the welfare of the people.
She said the government in 19 packages allotted some Tk 103,117 crore which is 3.7 percent of the GDP.
“I do not know any country in the world announced such huge amount (of its GDP) as stimulus package,” she said.
The Prime Minister said that the government has included all poor, distressed and jobless people under its monetary and food assistance programmes.
“Politics is for the people, the main aim of politics is to reduce the pain of the people,” she said.
‘Education gets highest priority’
Sheikh Hasina said the government gives the highest priority to education as it knows that to build a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh, there is no alternative to an educated nation.
“If the ray of the education does not enter every house of the country, it won’t be possible to eliminate poverty from the country,” she said.
In this connection, she mentioned that the government has formulated the Education Policy and implementing that to ensure that the light of education reaches every house.
The Prime Minister said that students in the country are very much brilliant and they can prove themselves if they get chances.
She requested the students to build themselves as the worthy citizens of the country imbued with patriotism and humanity, and the government is providing all necessary supports in this regard.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally published the results through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence here this morning.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni handed over a summary of the results to the Prime Minister online from her secretariat office. Deputy Minister for Education Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel was present on the occasion.
PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus and PMO Secretary Tofazzal Hossain Mian were present at Ganobhaban, while Secretary of Secondary and Higher Secondary Division Md Mahbub Hossain moderated the results handing ceremony at the Ministry of Education. – UNB
