PM Hasina urges youths to work to form cooperatives.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday called upon Bangladesh’s youths to engage in inspiring people to form cooperatives for boosting food production and pulling the country ahead further.
“Youth folk will have to come forward. We can go a long way if the youths do their activities in bringing village people together as everyone will have a responsibility,” she said.
The premier was addressing a function on the 51st National Cooperative Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) as the chief guest, joining virtually from her official residence, Ganabhaban.
She asked the youth folk not to chase after jobs but rather get involved in food products such as poultry and fish cultivation by forming cooperatives.
Referring to the 100 special economic zones being established by the government, she said: “You (youths) can set up food processing factories there, which will not only meet the local demand but also can help export abroad.”
Sheikh Hasina said she believes that the country could attain desired economic success through cooperatives.
She also urged all to work together to overcome the crisis created in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Russian-Ukraine war as well as sanctions and countersanctions.
With State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperative Swapan Bhattacharjee in the chair, Director General of the Department of Cooperatives Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikder delivered the welcome address.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam and Rural Development and Co-operative Division Sectary Md Mashiur Rahman also spoke as special guests.
A total of nine cooperative associations and one person were given the National Cooperative Award 2021 on the occasion.
On behalf of the prime minister, Md Tazul Islam handed over the awards.
Each awardee was given a gold medal and a certificate.
At the outset of the function, a video documentary on National Cooperative Day was screened
The theme of the day was “Bangabandhu’s Philosophy, Development of Cooperative”.
