Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said it is her duty to unchain people from deprivation and a plan is underway to provide urban facilities to villagers.

‘So many years have been wasted…we have lost times from 1975-96… we didn’t see any development in those 21 years, a handful of people managed to make their own fortune, while the rest were deprived…it’s my duty to free these people from their deprivation,’ she said, reports the UNB.

The Prime Minister said this while speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day 22nd National Council of the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) at Ganobhaban with the theme ‘Global Competitive TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) for Challenges of IR (Industrial Revolution) 4.0’.

She said her politics is for the people of Bangladesh and she utilises every second of her life for the country’s development. ‘I’m not here to make my own fortune, I’m here to build the fortune of the common people. As a result, the country is making progress.’

The Prime Minister said her government wants to develop villages further aiming to reduce the tremendous pressure of people on the capital city.

Sheikh Hasina said the government wants to provide urban facilities to rural people so that they can live a decent life. ‘We’re taking a plan to build the villages as townships and ensure all sorts of job in rural areas.’

She said the government has given a special attention to rural areas so that people living there could build their houses as they like. ‘Special loan facility is there to this end.’

The Prime Minister said the government has taken a plan to construct multi-storey buildings at the upazila and union levels.

Briefly listing the programmes taken by her government to improve the vocational education, Hasina said the government always gives importance to vocational and science and technology-based education.

Hasina asked the diploma engineers not to indulge in the calculation what they get and what they did not. ‘You have to build the country so the future general can get a beautiful life… I’m urging you all to devote yourselves to that purpose.’

She said it is the duty of the diploma engineers to implement the development programmes and maintain its quality at the field level.

The Prime Minister said the government has taken a programme to establish one technical school and college in each upazila. ‘The work to construct 100 technical schools and colleges has already started.’

She mentioned that the Education Ministry is working to set up 23 world-class new polytechnic institutes in the country.

Chaired by Central Executive Committee President of the IDEB AKMA Hamid, the function was also addressed by its General Secretary Shamshur Rahman.

A robot, TVET, manufactured by diploma engineers, welcomed the Prime Minister at the stage and had a parley with her.

Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the council by hoisting the national flag and releasing doves and balloons.