Help build a prosperous nation
Hasina tells students
Staff Correspondent
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina has called upon the meritorious students to play a leading role in building a happy and prosperous nation. "You have to acquire knowledge to help those who are poor and deprived of their rights to education so that they could be educated like you," she told the students, who achieved GPA-5 in the SSC examinations in 2005, at a reception yesterday. Around 8,000 students were accorded reception organised by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student front of AL, at Sultana Kamal Women's Sports Complex in the city. Speaking as chief guest, Hasina called upon the students to work for the welfare of the downtrodden who are deprived in many ways. Discrimination between the poor and the rich has increased further during the four-year rule of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government, she said, adding that poor people have become more poor while rich people have become more rich. "The prime minister and her son have made up huge fortunes by looting people's wealth," she said. The AL leader said Bangladeshi students are very brilliant and if they are guided properly they can build a prosperous Bangladesh as dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Giving her heart-felt thanks to the students, their parents and their teachers for their outstanding academic result, Hasina called upon them to be more attentive to their studies to lead the country in future. The AL chief said if voted to power her party would improve the standard of education and generate employment for the youths. The alliance government has been distorting the glorious history of Bangladesh in a planned way to achieve their parochial political interest, she said, adding that the true history of the country would be revealed one day. Later, Hasina gave away crests and citations to the students. BCL President Liaqat Shikder chaired the reception while General Secretary Nazrul Islam Babu delivered the address of welcome. Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) General Secretary Prof Dr Abul Barakat, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Secretary General Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Advocate Tarana Halim, Engineer Mozammel Babu, former captain of the national cricket team Naimur Rahman Durjoy, captain of the national football team Arifur Rahman Khan Joy, and Ishtiaq Ahmed and Sharmin Sobhan, on behalf of the students, also spoke at the reception. A cultural function was held at the same venue in the afternoon.
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