DHAKA – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her Awami League is led by commitment to people’s welfare, leaving the issue of voting for their consideration.
“We’re committed to the peoples welfare . . . it is up to them for whom they will vote,” she told the simultaneous launching of rural eye care centres in 20 upazilas through video conferencing from her Ganobhaban residence.
Sheikh Hasina added that Awami League learnt this guiding principle of politics from Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who, she said, also taught the party not to consider state power as a matter of luxury or pleasure.
The premier made the comments while inaugurating the Community Vision Centers in 20 upazilas of eight districts which comes under the purview of Gopalganj-based Bagamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Eye Hospital and Training Institute. The centres would refer their critical patients to the hospital.
Sheikh Hasina said since healthcare is a basic peoples right, Bangabandhu tried to reach the health services to people’s doorsteps through establishing a 10-bed hospital in each village after liberation.
“The government is making constant stride to reach better and modern healthcare services to the people’s doorsteps,” the premier said as she exchanged views with beneficiaries, doctors and local administrative officials through the video conferencing.
State Minister for health Zahid Malik, MP and PM’s former advisor Dr Syed Modasser Ali also spoke on the occasion while health division secretary Sirajul Haque Khan gave a presentation on different aspects of the project at the Ganobhaban end.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, and noted eye specialist Deen Mohammad Noorul Huq, chairman of Aravind Eye Hospital of Mumbai, India R.D. Ravindran spoke on the occasion from the other end of the video conference at Bagamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Eye Hospital and Training Institute.
Sheikh Hasina said the Community Vision Centers would play an epoch making role in diagnosing and treating eye diseases in southern parts of the country.
Sheikh Hasina announced establishment of a Taka 20 crore fund for treatment of the poor eye patients saying such eye care services would be expanded all over the country gradually.
Expressing her firm determination to work for the people the Prime Minister said she considers her every work for people as a holy task. Particularly the work for giving eye-vision to the blind people is a great job than any other, she said.
She also announced her government’s plan to establish a medical university in every divisional headquarters. Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh was born as an independent state with high poverty at all level.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a very short span of time had pulled the country out of that situation. But he was killed by anti-liberation force to foil the nation’s progress. “Bangabandu’s killing was not only a blow on a particular person or family.
The killing was aimed at destroying all dreams and aspiration of the nation,” she said. The prime minister said she had the opportunity to visit every nook and corner of the country during her political career when she saw the people living under extreme poverty without food and shelter.
At that time, I had visualized the concepts and programmes of country’s development; she said adding that the Awami League government had the opportunity to implement some of the concepts after coming to power in 1996.
But, the process faced hostility after change of the government in 2001. “We had taken project to establish 18,000 community clinics to reach healthcare service to the doorstep of the people.
Political vengeance guided BNP to suspend the project at its maturated stage. “BNP apprehended that the beneficiaries of the community clinics would be adherent to Awami League and cast their vote for the party in future,” the prime minister said.
BNP came to power not for doing work for the people, but to make their fortune and create a beneficiary group around them, she said.
