Recover all children's parks: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cuddles a child during a prize giving ceremony of a painting competition at Osmani Auditorium in the city yesterday.Photo: PID
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to recover all the children's parks and playgrounds in the city. She was addressing a prize giving ceremony of a painting competition at the city's Osmani Auditorium yesterday morning. Sheikh Russel Jatio Shishu Kishore Parishad arranged the competition to mark the 46th birth anniversary of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Expressing sorrow for the urban children, Hasina said the situation is so bad that the children do not have adequate number of playgrounds. She was a little bit critical of the real estate companies saying that they do not want to leave even an inch in building their flats and apartments. “Each playground and park has to be recovered and preserved for the children,” said the prime minister. She also directed the ministry concerned to arrange sports tournaments among the children across the country. The prime minister said her government has undertaken a number of steps to turn Bangladesh into a safe abode for children. She vowed to establish a safe and prosperous Bangladesh for every child, saying that the present government will not allow any terrorism on the land of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina has urged parents and teachers to shower as much love and affection as possible on their children and students respectively to help them build safe and beautiful lives. She said love and affection can be more effective than strictness in the form of scolding and rebukes in helping the children along the path of building safe and prosperous lives. “We are working round-the-clock to establish Bangladesh as a peaceful country by freeing it from all sorts of terrorism,” said the premier. She said her government has taken various steps to root out terrorism from Bangladesh. “If necessary, we will take even tougher action to root out terrorism from the country,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said necessary measures are being undertaken to ensure food, health, education, and specially technical education for the children. She said the government is trying to stop repression on children as it has formulated a policy under which employment of children in any hazardous work and use of children in political purposes are completely prohibited. She mentioned that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had introduced free education for primary students, and noted that the government has distributed free books up to secondary level. The prime minister reiterated her government plan to introduce free education up to graduate level. She said the government will take measures to provide stipends to the ultra poor students to help their parents. SSC examinees who attained excellent results were also given prizes at the function. State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Ministry Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and eminent economist Dr Abul Barakat, among others, spoke on the occasion. Later Sheikh Hasina witnessed a colourful cultural function performed by the Children of Sheikh Russel Jatio Shishu Kishore Parishad.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
Related News
Boy found dead in Ctg monastery
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Crime & Justice
Eid joy marred by tragedy
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh
Sitakunda Blast: Who started the fire?
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Accidents & Fires
Railway’s east zone reels from manpower crisis
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Transport
Barred from rally at Suhrawardy, BNP to hold protest across country tomorrow
13 November 2016, 07:30 AM
Politics
Comments