28-09-2021

TuESDAy, SEPTEMBEr 28, 2021
4
Happy Birthday to Sheikh Hasina!
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Thoughts on World
Tourism Day
Bangladesh observed the World Tourism Day on
Sunday. It was reported sometime ago that
Bangladesh has moved up from its 129th position to
123th position in the latest Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Index compiled by the World Economic
Forum (WEF). This means progress of the country by six
points in this area which must be a matter of satisfaction by
all concerned. It points to the need for greater
promotional and developmental activities by both the
government and the private sector in this very promising
sector.
Tourism is the fastest growing service industry in the world.
Unlike many other economic sectors where foreign currency
retention is much less from the need to import raw materials
and other paraphernalia to support activities in these sectors
such as in the export-oriented garments industries of
Bangladesh, retention of foreign currency by a country from
tourism can be 90 per cent or more.
From this angle alone, it should be possible to realize the
need to exploit the prospects of tourism in Bangladesh.
There are all the opportunities for Bangladesh to reap the
bonanza from tourism and open a rich new source of foreign
currency earnings for the country, plus create wealth, income
and jobs on a large scale provided policies are executed in
time.
Millions of foreign tourists visit neighbouring India . If
only 20 per cent of these tourists who come to India can be
persuaded to visit Bangladesh , then the latter can earn some
100 million dollars annually and that too in the short term
with possibilities of such income to grow much higher
progressively. This would be a big input to its national
economy and also a source of significant economic growth.
Ritualistic meetings and seminars are organized in
Bangladesh on the occasion of the World Tourism Day . But
regretfully, the ones who grace these functions fail to inform
what actual steps have been taken so far to facilitate a master
plan for tourism's development . The planning exercise is
primary but leaving the plans unimplemented for long also
makes no sense.
This is specially so when the private sector in Bangladesh
and also foreign investors are showing a great deal of interest
to invest in the tourism sector . The guidelines for investment
of the private sector in tourism should be declared as the
same is indispensable to encourage the mobilization of
private investment efforts in the first place. The functioning
of the lone government body, the Bangladesh Parjatan
Corporation (BPC), is also not up to the mark.
The development of tourism in Bangladesh essentially
involves government's greater activism by embarking on
implementation of plans and creating a policy environment
to be considered as helpful by the private sector. The
activities of foreign missions of Bangladesh and other bodies
need to be coordinated with the aim of dispelling negative
publicities about Bangladesh. Specially, these strategies will
have to be selectively applied to motivate a part of the huge
number of tourists who come to India to also come to
Bangladesh.
The existence of some world heritage sites in Bangladesh
and spots for eco-tourism such as the Sunderbans and Cox
Bazar, will have to be highlighted in innovative ways to draw
the attention of foreign tourists. Government should decrease
the amount of VAT and other charges that tourism related
private sector organizations have to pay.
The same concessions and more will increase the net of
tourists from both internal and external sources. A short term
plan should be executed immediately by the government to
improve connectivity to the recognized tourist sites.
Infrastructures should be built there and security of tourists
ensured.
Last year, I had a talk with a lady from Uzbekistan. She did
her Masters in tourism from Scotland, and spent three years
in Malaysia, working there as a teacher. I asked her how she
would compare Bangladesh with Malaysia from the tourism
perspective. She said: "What does Malaysia have except some
beaches? But Bangladesh has so many tourism attractions." I
don't know whether she was trying to make me happy, but I
agree with her on the point that Bangladesh has so many
world-class eco-tourism attractions.
It appears our conception about the development of
tourism in the country is not clear. We want to develop
tourism in Bangladesh so that the country can earn foreign
exchange from the tourists who will come to visit our country.
But nowadays different organisations often organise
tourism fairs in Bangladesh, in which mainly outbound tour
packages are sold. But sending tourists from Bangladesh to
other countries cannot be treated as the development of
tourism in our country.
These fairs are sellers' fairs in character from the
perspective of Bangladesh because the foreign exhibitors or
their counterparts in Bangladesh sell outbound tour
packages, and only a few offer domestic tour packages.
Instead of helping the country to earn foreign currency
through tourism, the sellers' fairs help in depletion of the
foreign exchange reserve of the country.
We need buyers' fairs, where foreign buyers (travel agents)
will come to Bangladesh to get offers of tour packages, so that
they may send tourists to our country. If we cannot arrange
this type of fair, then it is better for our country that we refrain
from organising sellers' fairs. With limited foreign exchange
reserve, Bangladesh cannot have the luxury of encouraging
its people to go for holidays outside the country. Anybody has
the legal right to organise a sellers' tourism fair; but they must
not say that they are organising this sort of fair for the
development of tourism in the country. Let us be more
practical about the development of tourism in the country; let
us develop it in the true sense, so that it contributes valuable
foreign exchange to our state coffer, and help to develop the
economy of the country. We note with satisfaction the
building of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive and some
other developmental activities in the tourism sector in recent
years. It is the longest of its type in the world. While
appreciating these completed projects , we also urge on the
government to maintain and add to momentum in these
activities to soon realize more and more the untapped
potentials of the tourism sector in Bangladesh.
Today is the
birthday of Prime
Minister Sheikh
Hasina, the eldest
daughter of
Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, the father
of the Bengali nation. She was born on
September 28, 1947 in the village of
Tungipara. Her father Sheikh Mujib
was then busy in Calcutta with the postpartition
political situation, riot
prevention, and education.
Sheikh Hasina's life began with the
affection and blessings of her
grandparents. Grandfather named her
'Hasina'. On hearing the news of the
birth, the father suddenly came home
one day, took the girl in his arms, called
her 'Hachumoni', expressed his
happiness and painted a kiss on her
forehead.
The little 'Hachumoni', the princess of
Bangabandhu, became the beloved
leader of the people of Bangladesh
today and gradually established herself
as a world leader. She spent her
childhood listening to the sound of the
rivers and canals of the village and the
smell of green nature. That is where her
educational life began.
After Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was
elected a member of the Provincial
Council (MPA) in the 1954 elections, he
took his family to Dhaka. They family
started living in Bose lane of old Dhaka.
After being elected a member of the
United Front cabinet, the residence was
shifted to the official residence at 3
Minto Road.
In 1956, Sheikh Hasina was admitted
to the Narishiksha Mandir Girls' School
in Tikatuli. She started living in her
house on the historic 32, Road in
Dhanmondi on 1 October 1961. At this
time Sheikh Hasina passed the
secondary examination from Azimpur
Girls School in 1965.
She passed higher secondary in 1967
from the former Intermediate
Government Girls College (now
Badrunnesa Government Women's
College) in Bakshi Bazar, Dhaka. While
studying in the college, she was elected
as the Vice-Chairperson (VP) of the
College Students' Parliament. In the
same year she was admitted to Dhaka
University.
Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh
Hasina is the builder of modern
Bangladesh. She initiated the motto of a
developed and prosperous digital
Bangladesh. Today, Bangladesh has
evolved from a least developed country
to a developing country under the
leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina's intellect, honesty, dedication,
competence, wisdom, efficiency,
creativity, liberal democratic outlook
and visionary leadership. The once socalled
'bottomless basket' is plagued by
poverty-famine. Bangladesh has had to
struggle to survive under the welfareoriented
leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
That Bangladesh is constantly moving
forward in the new journey of world
conquest. Today, Bangladesh has been
established as a self-respecting nation
in the world assembly. Born into a
political family, Sheikh Hasina,
daughter of Bangabandhu, started her
career in politics from a young age. In
school, college and university life, as the
leader of Chhatra League, the largest
student organization in East Pakistan at
that time, she actively participated in
the anti-Ayub movement and the 6-
point movement.
The 6-point demand raised by
Bangabandhu in 1966 created an
unprecedented mass uprising in the
then East Pakistan. Frightened, the
ruling party arrested Bangabandhu.
Intense repression-torture-oppression
began. The Agartala conspiracy case
was filed by the Pakistani ruling party
against Bangabandhu while he was in
custody. Deep fear, uncertainty and
unbearable misery descended on his life
and family. In these stormy days,
Sheikh Hasina got married with nuclear
scientist Dr. M. A.Wazed Mia on
November 17, 1967 in the interest of her
imprisoned father. Shortly after their
marriage, the 11-point movement of the
Bengali nation and the mass uprising of
'69 began. On the night of March 25,
1971, when Bangabandhu was arrested
by the Pak-Hanadar forces and taken to
Karachi, Pakistan, Bangabandhu's
entire family was kept under house
arrest in a different houses in Dhaka.
During the war of liberation, Sheikh
Hasina's first child SajeebWazed Joy
was born on 27 July 1971 while under
house arrest. After the victory in the war
of liberation on 17 December 1971, she
was released along with other members
of her family. On December 9, 1972, her
daughter Saima WazedPutul was born.
Sheikh Hasina graduated from Dhaka
University in 1973. On the night of 15
August 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, the father of the
greatest Bengali nation of all time, was
killed along with his family by a brutal
bullet. Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh
Rehana, the daughters of
Bangabandhu, survived by the grace of
Allah.
She was elected president of the
Bangladesh Awami League at a critical
juncture of the nation through a historic
council session held at the Eden Hotel
in Dhaka on 14, 15 and 16 February
1981. The call came to take the helm of
Awami League, the largest political
party in the country.
Leader of the people Sheikh Hasina
returned home on May 17, 1981,
ignoring the bloodshed and
prohibitions of the military rulers. After
that, for 21 long years, there was a
continuous fearless struggle against the
military junta, dictatorship and
misrule. With the victory of the Awami
League in the 12 June 1996
parliamentary
elections,
Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh
Hasina was elected Prime Minister of
Bangladesh for the first time.
During her government, the historic
Ganges water sharing agreement was
signed with India. The Chittagong Hill
Tracts Peace Accord was executed.
Bangladesh achieves food selfsufficiency.
National growth exceeds
6.4 percent. Inflation fell to 1.59
percent. Poverty is reduced. Bangladesh
turned to every field including food,
education, health, agriculture, sports.
The first (1996-2001) reign of Sheikh
Hasina in the history of Bangladesh is
marked as the golden age of the post-75
era.
After the 2001 conspiracy and rigged
elections, the BNP-Jamaat evil alliance
took power.
At that time, the coalition government
established a reign of terror all over the
country through repression. 21
thousand party leaders and workers
were killed. On 21 August 2004, a
planned infernal grenade attack was
carried out at an Awami League peace
rally with the official support of the then
BNP-Jamaat alliance; Whose main goal
was to assassinate Sheikh Hasina.
Despite being seriously injured, Sheikh
Hasina survived by the grace of Allah.
However, 24 leaders and activists,
including Awami League leader Ivy
Rahman, were killed in the attack.
Numerous leaders and workers were
paralyzed forever.
Bangladesh became a valley of death.
With the help of the BNP-Jamaat
coalition government, there was a
massive rise of religious militants and
terrorists across the country. And the
fearless Sheikh Hasina stood against
their misrule.
The common people of Bengal came
down to the streets at her call. Despite
the end of the BNP-Jamaat coalition
government on 28 October 2006, BNP
President Iajuddin Ahmed himself took
over as chief adviser to the caretaker
government in violation of the
constitution.
The planning of the election and the
preparation of the election farce
continued under the direction of Hawa
Bhaban. Bangladesh roared. Leader of
the people Sheikh Hasina announced a
boycott of the elections. The mass
movement started. Illegal election was
canceled. Iajuddin was forced to resign
as chief adviser. A state of emergency
was declared. A new caretaker
government was formed under the
leadership of Fakhruddin Ahmed.
After 1/11 a new conspiracy began.
The 'minus two formula' was presented
to remove Sheikh Hasina from politics.
When Sheikh Hasina returned to the
country after her visit to the United
States and the United Kingdom, the
caretaker government illegally imposed
a ban.
But the brave public leader Sheikh
Hasina returned to her beloved
homeland on 7 May 2007, ignoring
government bans, conspiracies and fear
of death. But just two months later, on
16 July 2007, Sheikh Hasina was
arrested in a monstrous manner from
her residence Sudhasadan.
She was kept in a temporary jail in the
JatiyaSangsad area. One conspiratorial
false case after another was filed against
her. There was a conspiracy to kill her in
NAyEEM ISLAM NIBIr
prison. She became seriously ill. Her life
and death are being trampled underfoot
by mass struggles and legal battles. No
election can be held without Sheikh
Hasina. The scene changes. The armybacked
caretaker government was
forced to release political leaders,
including Sheikh Hasina. The ninth
general election was held on 29
December 2008.
Achieved historic victory. The Awami
League alone won more than threequarters
of the seats. On 6 January
2009 Sheikh Hasina took over as the
Prime Minister for the second time. A
grand alliance government was formed.
Sheikh Hasina reached a unique height
of popularity with the skillful leadership
of the people's leader Sheikh Hasina
and the unprecedented development of
Bangladesh and the strong potential of
immense potential. The Awami League
led by Sheikh Hasina formed the
government with a majority in the 10th
parliamentary elections on 5 January
2014.
Today, the government led by Sheikh
Hasina is successfully running the
country for the fourth time in a third
consecutive term. The countrymen are
benefiting from the steps taken by the
government today. As a country of
immense potential, Bangladesh is
moving forward at an irresistible pace.
Under the leadership of Bangabandhu's
daughter, Bangladesh has risen from a
least developed country to a developing
country by overcoming all obstacles,
crises and challenges.
Over the past decade since 2009,
countless success-memorials have been
added to the journey of building a
prosperous Bangladesh. She started all
She was elected president of the Bangladesh Awami League at a critical
juncture of the nation through a historic council session held at
the Eden Hotel in Dhaka on 14, 15 and 16 February 1981. The call
came to take the helm of Awami League, the largest political party in
the country. Leader of the people Sheikh Hasina returned home on
May 17, 1981, ignoring the bloodshed and prohibitions of the military
rulers. After that, for 21 long years, there was a continuous fearless
struggle against the military junta, dictatorship and misrule. With
the victory of the Awami League in the 12 June 1996 parliamentary
elections, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina was elected Prime
Minister of Bangladesh for the first time. During her government,
the historic Ganges water sharing agreement was signed with India.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was executed.
the programs to build a digital
Bangladesh from the grassroots. She
has liberalized the path to democracy by
establishing freedom of the press in the
country and fair and transparent
elections under her government.
Along with this, through the massive
development of education, health,
agriculture and employment, it has
enabled the country to attract the
attention of world leaders as a model
today. Besides, the empowerment of
women during her rule has also set a
special example in the world.
Not only Bangladesh but also the
people of South Asia and poor
underdeveloped countries are looking
at Sheikh Hasina. She has strengthened
the economy of Bangladesh at a time
when the economic downturn is going
on in the world, the problem of inflation
and unemployment is getting
complicated in the country. She has
created the minimum way for people to
make a living, which is indicative of
Sheikh Hasina's achievements. She is
sincere and knows how to cooperate
with any good initiative. Even today we
do not see any alternative to her
especially in the development of the
agricultural sector. The national
economy is much stronger than before.
The poverty rate has now come down a
lot. The people of the country are living
in peace and comfort today. The main
reasons for this are price control and
increase in food production.
She has ensured free access to
technology for the youth. Sheikh Hasina
has taken initiative to make Bangladesh
livable for future generations where
besides education-health-employment
there will be huge potential for
development of creative talent. History
will testify to whether a compassionate
and compassionate leader like Sheikh
Hasina will come in the future and
future generations will evaluate it.
The final settlement of the
Bangabandhu assassination case, the
completion of the trial of the deadly war
criminals of 1971, the restoration of the
spirit of the Great Liberation War
through the amendment of the
Constitution, the settlement of
maritime disputes with India and
Myanmar and the establishment of
Bangladesh's sovereignty over the sea
happened under her prudent
leadership.
With the successful launch of
Bangabandhu-1 satellite, space
conquest, Bangladesh's entry into the
submarine era, construction of Padma
Bridge at its own expense, Metrorail,
installation of nuclear power plant,
Karnafuli tunnel, elevated expressway,
new flyovers, upgrading of highways to
four lanes, LNG self-sufficiency, per
capita income rise to 1,909, growth 8.1
percent, poverty reduction, power
generation capacity exceeds 22,000
MW, 94 percent people covered by
electricity, modern education policy
formulated, literacy rate raised to 73.9
percent, primary to secondary level on
first day of the year Delivering free new
books to all students till, Integration
and recognition of madrasa education
with mainstream education,
establishment of medical universities,
initiative to establish one public /
private university in each district,
formulation of women's policy,
construction of digital Bangladesh,
introduction of 4G mobile technology
and plans to enter the 5-G era
Bangladesh has achieved success.
Sheikh Hasina is considered as the
leader of the Bengali nation because of
her talent, courage and honesty, she is
called the symbol of the existence of
present-day Bangladesh. By killing
Bangabandhu, the defeated forces of
independence made every effort to
thwart the Bengali national identity, the
spirit and values of the war of
liberation. They were joined with great
enthusiasm by power-hungry and
privileged politicians, academics,
intellectuals, professionals and the
business community. Bangabandhu's
Bengali nation was then helpless,
humiliated and oppressed. For the sake
of religion, the dictatorial military
rulers of Pakistan, the eternal enemy of
the Bengalis, threw the country into a
dark hole.
The murderous tried in vain to erase
the existence of Bengalis. Bengali was
bowing its head in the world then.
Attempts to seize power through
kidnappings and assassinations,
conspired to destroy The reign of
corruption and misrule was established
by suppressing good governance. On
the one hand a handful of survivors
were getting richer and richer, and on
the other hand the poor were getting
poorer. People were becoming more
and more helpless due to poverty and
famine. There was no open-air
environment in the country.
Today under the leadership of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina we have stood
up to all these evil forces. We have
established the basic human rights.
People's leader Sheikh Hasina has a
colorful life of struggle. Building
Success This career was not easy, it was
thorny.
She remained under house arrest for
nine months of the liberation war. She
was tortured and placed under house
arrest several times during the military
dictatorship. Time and again her life
was in danger. At least 20 attempts
have been made to assassinate her.
Even at the risk of her life, she has
remained steadfast in achieving her
goals with infinite courage. Her
personal life filled with simplicity.
Her attractive personality has been
developed in the ideals of intellect,
honesty, hard work, courage, patience,
patriotism and sacrifice.
There is no impression of luxury or
artificiality anywhere in Sheikh
Hasina's lifestyle. In private life she is
extremely devoted and pious. Her day
began with regular Fajr prayers and
recitation of the Qur'an. She has
performed the holy Haj several times.
Her contribution as a successful
statesman is internationally recognized
today.
She has already been awarded
numerous prestigious medals, awards
and recognitions for peace, democracy,
health and child mortality reduction,
use of information technology, poverty
alleviation, development and the
establishment of brotherhood and
harmony among nations. Pure
patriotism, foresight, strong mentality
and human qualities have made her a
world leader.
She is the symbol of the national unity
of the Bengalis and the safe haven of all
hopes and aspirations of the Bengali
nation. All the great achievements of
the Bengali nation after '75 have been
achieved under the leadership of Sheikh
Hasina.
Today is the birthday of
Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh
Hasina, a significant day for the entire
Bengali nation. And on this auspicious
day, I would like to extend my best
wishes to her and the people of the
country. At the same time, I wish
longevity and health of the to the
Almighty Allah.
Nayeem Islam Nibir is a young
generation political leader and
columnist in Bangladesh.
He can be reached :
nayemulislamnayem148@gmail.com